<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><item href="/news-events/downstate-update/2026/february/02-17-lunar-new-year.html" dsn="blogs"><featured/><categories/><pubDate>02/17/2026 11:12:44 AM</pubDate><title>Celebrating 2026 Lunar New Year: The Year of the Horse</title><sub-title/><description>Tuesday, February 17, 2026, marks the commencement of the Lunar New Year—a momentous cultural celebration that holds deep significance for many East and Southeast Asian communities. This holiday signifies the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar.</description><author>Office of Communications &amp; Marketing</author><image><img xmlns:ouc="http://omniupdate.com/XSL/Variables" src="/news-events/downstate-update/2026/february/_images/lunar-new-year.png" alt="Lunar New Year"/></image><loc>/var/staging/oucampus/suny-downstate/downstate/news-events/downstate-update/2026/february/02-17-lunar-new-year.xml</loc><tags><tag>Holidays</tag><tag>observances</tag></tags><categories/></item>