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NYC Schools To Close Monday For Lunar New Year

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New York City schools will be closed Monday for Lunar New Year, an important holiday for Asian Americans across the five boroughs.

This is the first time city schools will have a day off for the holiday, WCBS 880's Kelly Waldron reported.

Even though students are allowed to receive and excused absence for religious and cultural observances, most parents were reluctant to have their children miss a day of school.

New York City is the largest district in the country to add the holiday to the school calendar. Two Muslim holidays -- Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha -- were also added.

Last year, a Hindu group also advocated to have the holy day of Diwali added to the school holiday calendar, but no immediate action was taken.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has said there are no plans to add any new holidays.

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