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SR8608 • 2026
Celebrating the Lunar New Year.
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
Lunar New Year
Adopted.
Lunar New Year
WHEREAS, January 29, 2025, marks the beginning of the Lunar New 1 Year, which is celebrated in many diverse communities around the 2 world, including in the United States and in Washington State; and3 WHEREAS, The 2024 regular session of the Legislature passed House 4 Bill 2209 recognizing Lunar New Year as a state legal holiday; and5 WHEREAS, The Lunar New Year is celebrated annually on the second 6 new moon following the winter solstice; and 7 WHEREAS, Washington is home to nearly 920,000 Asian and Pacific 8 Islander Americans of Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, 9 Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Pakistani, Samoan, 10 Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Tongan, and Vietnamese descent; and11 WHEREAS, The Lunar New Year is an especially significant holiday 12 in East and Southeast Asian cultures, including in Chinese, 13 Vietnamese, and Korean communities, among others; and14 WHEREAS, The Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of 15 spring and the beginning of a new year, as a time to renew family 16 ties, and to start the new year with a clean slate; and17 WHEREAS, In the United States, Lunar New Year is commonly 18 associated with the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring 19 Festival, in Vietnam, the holiday is known as Tet Nguyen Dan, also 20 commonly referred to as Tet, and in Korea it is known as Seollal; and21 WHEREAS, The Lunar Calendar rotates through 12-year cycles, with 22 each year representing an animal from The Great Race, and through 60-23 SENATE RESOLUTION 8608 By Senators Hasegawa and Conway p. 1 8608 year cycles — with each animal associated with one of the five 1 elements: Metal, wood, fire, water, or earth — to create harmony 2 and balance; and 3 WHEREAS, The 2025 Lunar Year is the Year of the Wood Snake, 4 symbolizing versatility, growth, and creativity; and5 WHEREAS, The celebration of the Lunar New Year in 6 communities throughout Washington State illustrates the state's 7 rich cultural history and commitment to racial, religious, and 8 cultural diversity; 9 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate join Asian 10 and Pacific Islander communities throughout the state, the 11 nation, and the world in celebrating January 29, 2025, as the 12 beginning of the Lunar New Year and extend best wishes for a 13 peaceful and prosperous Lunar New Year to all Washingtonians.14 I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate, 15 do hereby certify that this is a true and 16 correct copy of Senate Resolution 8608, 17 adopted by the Senate 18 January 31, 2025 19 SARAH BANNISTER 20 Secretary of the Senate 21 p. 2 8608