This year, Lunar New Year is (was) on Sunday. That’s when the moon enters a new phase and ushers in the Year of the Rabbit, which ends February 9th. And for the first time in California’s history, it’s also an official state holiday. Governor Newsom signed the bill late last year. Jeannie Wood is executive director of Nevada County’s Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra. She’s also recently joined the Board of the local Arts Council. And she says the state holiday was news to her…

click to listen to Jeannie Wood

Wood says there’s no longer a large Asian population here. But each year, the Asian Theatre of the Sierra has honored early Chinese pioneers with an annual parade and festival in Nevada City, on Commercial Street…

click to listen to Jeannie Wood

But Wood says due partly to COVID concerns, the event hasn’t happened and isn’t being revived until 2024. But Wood says this year she’ll be gathering with her extended family in the Bay Area for a traditional feast to welcome the Year of the Rabbit. Asian Americans make up 17-percent of California’s population, the highest share of any state other than Hawaii. Meanwhile, an effort is also underway to make Lunar New Year the 12th federally-recognized holiday.