A symbol of new beginnings, prosperity, and happiness, the Lunar New Year is coming up on February 1st. This celebration begins between January 21 and February 20, depending on when the full moon rises, and lasts for 15 days until the next full moon. In addition to supporting your local Chinese restaurants and shops, keep reading for some AAPI-founded brands that we love, and to learn about the meaning behind these traditions.
Umamicart East Asian Lunar New Year Celebration ($69)
Get your fill of delicious New Year foods with this collection. Steamed fish symbolizes abundance and prosperity, while tteokguk (a white rice cake soup) represents purity and a fresh start. Longevity Noodles (or Long Life Noodles) are usually served at the end of a meal and symbolize a long life. The longer the noodle, the longer the life, and it's extra lucky to eat them without biting them apart!
Andrea Xu founded Umamicart, an online grocery collection full of diverse and unique Asian American food, because of a love of delicious and unconventional food combos. She wants to showcase traditional foods and newer brands, and to bring you and your loved ones together at the table at the same time.
Red Lantern Earrings From ChaoticNeutralNY On Etsy ($50)
Red and gold are both considered lucky colors going into the New Year, and these lantern earrings are a beautiful way to wear them. Beyond the meaningful colors, lanterns during the festival are generally considered a way to let go of your past self and enter into the new year.
Prisca Choe, whose love language is gift giving, started making acrylic art and jewelry for herself and friends when the pandemic began. Her friends encouraged her to start Chaotic Neutral NY as a space for motifs of her Korean heritage and her Chinatown community to come together.
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Pearl River Mart Year Of The Tiger Plush ($8+)
What better way to celebrate the Year of The Tiger than with a tiger plush? People born during the Year of the Tiger are said to be brave, charming, and competitive, just like the animal. Stuffed tigers are great for kids (and adults) of all ages.
Founded in 1971 by Ming Yi and Ching Yeh Chen, Pearl River Mart was the first Chinese American "friendship" store during a time when China and America were not on good diplomatic terms. The couple wanted to clear up the mystery surrounding China by providing delicious food and useful tools to the people in New York and became an institution in the process.
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Mount Lai Jade Facial Spa Set for Lunar New Year ($62)
Jade is known as the stone of eternal youth and is often a part of the New Year because of it signifies hope, new beginnings, and good health. The gua sha ritual is part of wholistic ancient Chinese healing and promotes blood flow, reduces inflammation, and helps you release facial tension.
Stephanie Zheng founded Mount Lai with a modern approach to ancient Chinese traditions, inspired by her grandmother, who has been jade rolling and practicing gua sha for more than 50 years. Zheng hopes to pass on the wisdom and ritual found in these products, hoping they'll provide others with the same self-care they've given her.
Emme Essentials Pomelo Woodwick Candle ($33)
A close ancestor to the grapefruit, pomelos represents family unity and health. They're eaten during the Lunar New Year because the Chinese word for pomelo sounds like "prosperity!"
Asian American couple Mark and Erica founded Emme Essentials in 2020 after moving across the country. They found that burning candles gave them peace of mind, but wanted more scents that would remind them of their heritage. They hope that their candles will share their cultures with the rest of the world and comfort anyone else who feels homesick.
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Little Egg Crafts Year Of The Tiger Crochet Collection ($14)
In addition to this year's tiger, DIY a mandarin orange. Because the Chinese word for mandarin sounds like the word for gold, it's said that having a few mandarins around the house can bring riches into your life.
Little Egg Crafts was founded in 2020 to bring the co-founders closer together while living far apart during the pandemic. The amigurumi (or art of knitting) plushes are inspired by shared culture and multicultural heritage.
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Wing On Wo & Co Year of the Tiger Tassel ($25)
The Pan Chang knot found on this tassel represents longevity, eternity, and the cycle of a life with no beginning or end. Paired with the aventurine stone, which symbolizes new growth and prosperity, this is an extra lucky tassel.
Founded in 1890, Wing On Wo & Co has been run for five generations, making it the oldest continuously operating store in New York City's Chinatown. With their porcelain wares and cultural goods, they hope to reinterpret tradition through an Asian American point of view, and give new life to cultural craft.
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Umamicart Lunar New Year Ingot Dumplings ($42)
These spicy bites, which look like the gold boat-shaped currency used since the Qin dynasty, represent wealth. Eating them during the celebration is a tasty way to invite good fortune for the year ahead.
Sticky Rice Sisters Year of Tiger Red Envelopes ($3)
Use these red envelopes to give money during the Lunar New Year. Just don't forget about the rules! Always include an even number of paper money instead of coins. You'll always want to avoid an amount of 4 because it sounds like "death" in Chinese.
Sticky Rice Sisters was inspired by KoKo and Koyun Fan from their love of stickers as children. After moving to the US and having their classmates compliment their stickers during their school years, they founded the company to bring Taiwanese culture and designs to the States.
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Emilie Heath The Perfect Red Nail Artist Polish ($28)
Celebrate the New Year with a color that's both lucky and bold. Not only is a bright red timely but this non-toxic pick is made with Bamboo Extract, Sea Buckthorn Oil, and Vitamin E for nails that feel as good as they look.
After discovering a love for the escape that art and beauty provided her, Emily H. Rudman trained as a makeup artist and got an MBA from Columbia University. She founded Emilie Heath using ingredients, like anti-inflammatory bamboo and antioxidant-rich rice, that brought her back to her heritage.
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Pearl River Mart Togetherness Tray Candy Holder ($36)
Trays like this can be traced back more than 1,000 years and during the celebration, they're chock full of candies, seeds, and dried fruit in the hope that the new year will be sweet. Not only do they symbolize sweetness, but putting them all together represents luck and togetherness.
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Yami Lucky Candy ($5)
These strawberry-flavored candies are eaten during the New Year but can also be found year-round in pockets and bags. Placing a few candies in the Togetherness Tray symbolizes a sweet beginning and pleasant year.
Alex Zhou founded Yami after he drove two hours to reach the nearest Asian market. He decided he wanted to help Asian Americans who didn't have the ingredients they loved nearby. He hopes that Yami can help preserve and spread Chinese culture and traditions, and help Asian Americans feel at home.
Wing On Wo & Co. Silk Lantern ($50)
This traditional yet modern take on classic lanterns is a bright addition to any celebration. Traditionally, lanterns were used for a source of light and worship, but today they're also used for celebrations. While red is one of the most popular colors, green lanterns symbolize health, prosperity, and harmony.
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Chunks Nimbus Claw In Redwood ($20)
Wear these lucky colors in a fashion-forward way, everyday. Not only are these chunky, retro clips stylish, but they're also nickel-free and will make you look towards summer.
Chunks was founded by Tiffany Ju after she realized there were no cute *and* high-quality hair clips. Inspired by Ju's love for color and culture, Chunks is on a mission to support eco-responsible manufacturing and emphasize how products are made instead of where they're made.
Which local businesses in your area can you support this Lunar New Year?
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