A symbol of new beginnings, prosperity, and happiness, the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is coming up on January 22. This year, the celebration and preparation really begins on January 14, and lasts for 15 days until the next full moon. In addition to supporting your local Asian-owned restaurants and shops, keep reading for some AAPI-founded brands that we love, and to learn about the meaning behind the New Year traditions.
When is Lunar New Year in 2023?
The Lunar New Year in 2023 falls on Sunday, January 22.
Is Lunar New Year the same as Chinese New Year?
Lunar New Year is sometimes referred to as Chinese New Year because it follows a calendar that was developed in China. Different Asian cultures hold true to differing traditions behind the holiday, so depending on where you live, you may celebrate the new year on different dates with different traditions.
What does Lunar New Year celebrate?
Lunar New Year celebrates a new year that's full of prosperity and good fortune. This is also an important time for Asian communities to remember and honor their ancestors. The 2023 Lunar New Year welcomes the year of the rabbit.
How do you celebrate Lunar New Year?
Communities that recognize Lunar New Year often celebrate with many flowers, vibrant parades, firework shows, cooking traditional meals, decorating their homes, and gifting.
What does AAPI stand for?
AAPI stands for Asian American Pacific Islander.
AAPI Brands To Support This Lunar New Year
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.
Find ChaoticNeutralNY on Instagram
Mount Lai Jade Facial Spa Set for Lunar New Year ($52)
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.
Chunky Things Bunny Baby Red Envelope ($8)
This handmade envelope is the perfect way to gift your loved ones if you celebrate the Lunar New Year. The shop celebrates numerous AAPI artists to follow year-round. Stop to browse in-person at Chunky Things in Chinatown, Los Angeles!
Find Chunky Things on Instagram
Green Tiger Pattern Set ($20)
This set of eight cards has a colorful display of tigers that's perfect for the Lunar New Year. Not only are they gorgeous to look at but they're also eco-friendly, using 100% recycled *and* chlorine-free paper. That sounds like another reason to celebrate.
Cal Seto founded Ferme à Papier after a visit to Paris inspired her to celebrate the small joys in life. Seto wants to focus on culturally relevant themes that support AAPI and Asian heritage, especially in the wake of hate crimes.
Find Ferme à Papier on Instagram
Sanzo Flavored Sparkling Water ($36 / 12 pack)
This sparkling water's flavors are inspired by authentic cultural tastes in an aim to bring more Asian culture to the American sparkling water landscape. A sip of Sanzo brings you real fruit flavor with no added sugars! Enjoy it alone or with a delicious mocktail to have a super unique drink experience.
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.
Find Wing On Wo & Co on Instagram
EDEN + ELIE Striped Medallion Drop Earrings ($89)
EDEN + ELIE is a design-centered APPI brand that brings careful, handmade jewelry to buyers. The company empowers makers of all backgrounds and aims to bring Singapore's past to the present.
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.
Emilie Heath Lunar New Year Set ($95)
Celebrate the New Year with a collection that's both lucky and bold. Not only is a bright red timely but these non-toxic picks are made with Bamboo Extract, oils, and Vitamins that will make you feel as good as you 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.
Find Emilie Heath on Instagram
Strange Bird My Happy Place Candle ($56)
This bubble tea-scented candle will become your #1 player in your weekly self care routines. Designed to bring you back to cherished childhood memories and indulge in personal freedom, this long-burning candle is definitely a wonderful way to support an AAPI brand and unwind.
Strange Bird aims to help women make self care easier and an often-practiced ritual. Founder Tina Chow Rudolf wanted to ensure that people like her and her family were represented in those rituals too, as well as the overall market.
Find Strange Bird on Instagram
Pearl River Mart Togetherness Tray Candy Holder ($39)
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.
Find Pearl River Mart on Instagram
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.
Pink Moon Head to Toe Gua Sha Set ($120)
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.
Find Wing On Wo & Co on Instagram
Chunks Nimbus Claw In Redwood ($16)
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.
Yina Minimalist Ritual Skincare Set ($180)
Keep your glow going with this adaptogenic skincare trio. The cleanser, mist, and cream feel lightweight on the skin and will leave you refreshed.
Inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, founders of Yina, Angela Gray and Dr. Ervina Wu, set out to provide self care that intertwines modern wellness rituals with traditional wisdom.
Which local businesses in your area can you support this Lunar New Year?
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
This post has been updated.
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