Celebrate the Lunar New Year and embody the year of the tiger with courage, confidence, and charm.
The start of a new year is a great time to reset: It’s a literal fresh start to the calendar, but also a time for you to look forward and get excited about what’s to come. It’s also important to take some time to reflect on year’s past, remembering lessons we’ve learned and how we’re planning to take them with us. But, the start of a new year isn’t always on Jan. 1. Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, occurs on the first new moon of the year, which is usually sometime between late Jan. and early Feb. This year, the year of the tiger in the Chinese zodiac, Lunar New Year falls on Feb. 1.
The holiday is a time for families and friends to gather to celebrate, eat delicious meals, share gifts, decorate their homes, and even clean to usher in a year full of luck. If you and your crew are choosing to exchange gifts to celebrate, you should probably also know what not to give as a gift — black and white items are often saved for funerals, necklaces are normally for romantic partners, and clocks are bad luck. Gifting things that are red and gold (which symbolize luck and wealth) is a great idea!
Whether you’re planning to have an in-person gathering to exchange gifts or if you’ll be sending presents to your friends and family, we’ve done the research and found some amazing options that give back or support AAPI-businesses. After all, there’s no better way to start a new year than supporting and uplifting the community around you. Xīnnián hǎo!
Follow Your Bliss Year of the Tiger Huggies
An accessory can make an outfit, so why not gift that perfect finishing touch? These gold huggie earrings have a small tiger charm on them, symbolizing the year of the tiger for 2022. The earrings are sterling silver plated in 18K gold, so while they aren’t solid gold, they won’t irritate sensitive ears. All proceeds from each pair of earrings sold go to Apex for Youth, whose mission is “to deliver possibilities to underserved Asian and immigrant youth from low-income families in New York City through mentoring and educational programs that serve students from Pre-K to 12th grade.”
Radley London Year of the Tiger Tote Bag
There’s no such thing as too many tote bags, especially when they’re as cute as this one. An adorable cartoon tiger graces the front of the bag, which is made from 60 percent recycled cotton. The bag is big enough to hold groceries or your laptop, depending on what you choose to use it for. There’s even an internal zip pocket to keep your wallet, keys, and phone from falling to the bottom of the bag.
Lady M Red Bean Mille Crêpes
If you’re headed to a Lunar New Year party, it’s best to not come empty handed. Impress your host with this beautiful red bean crepe cake that has thin, delicious crepes layered with red bean pastry cream. You can keep it frozen before the party, so order now if you want to guarantee you get it before the celebration begins!
Glasshouse Fragrances Year of the Tiger Candle
A candle may seem like a basic gift, but when it’s housed in a luxurious gold vessel with a matching lid? Definitely more gift-worthy. The candle is made from a soy-blend wax (so no parabens or silicones), and your recipient can reuse the glass canister after the candle is done. As they light the wick, they’ll be enveloped with the fresh scents of bright citrus, tropical lotus flower, and sweet vanilla.
Goldbelly Bao and Potstickers Combo Pack from Wow Bao
If you’re hosting or heading to someone else’s house, make dinner a breeze with this pre-made bao and potstickers combo from the restaurant Wow Bao. The kit includes four packs of bao (fluffy buns filled with ingredients like chicken or veggies), which you can customize based on your flavor preferences. You can choose from teriyaki chicken, barbecue Berkshire pork, spicy Mongolian beef, or whole wheat veggie. You’ll also get a pack of 20 potstickers. Each dish comes frozen, so all you have to do on the day-of is heat and enjoy!
Cocokind x Tower28 Lunar New Year Kit
The beauty gurus in your life will love this gift — that is, if you don’t end up stealing it for yourself. Cocokind and Tower28 paired to create this limited-edition kit, which includes a gel cleanser, ceramide serum, lip jelly, and tinted balm. As if the products weren’t impressive enough, the brands are also donating $5 from each kit purchase to the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, which helps build a safer world, both socially and politically, for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women, girls, and their communities.
Berghoff Cast Aluminum Wok
If you happen to be hosting family dinner this year, a wok is a must for stir-frying veggies or noodles. This one is nice and deep to keep food moving (and therefore not burning), and the double handles make it easy to carry to and from the table. It’s also made of lightweight aluminum, which heats evenly and saves your arms from feeling like they’re going to fall off as you hold the pot, unlike cast-iron versions.
Girlfriend Collective Paloma Exercise Dress
Girlfriend Collective is one of our favorite brands for their sustainable practices (most of their products are made from recycled plastic bottles, just like this workout dress), but they’re also AAPI-owned. And since we’ve spent the past couple of years living in our activewear, it’s probably time to amp up your athleisure look. This dress is super comfortable for tennis or running errands, and has built-in shorts and a built-in bra. One and done.
Williams Sonoma Lunar Lazy Susan
Passing dishes around the table isn’t only time-consuming, it’s a dangerous game to play with hot plates and spill-able sauces. This lazy Susan is perfect to for all your Lunar New Year needs, not only because it serves as a beautiful decoration, but because it allows everyone at the table to spin it to reach whichever dish they want to serve themselves.
Our Place Always Pan
The Always Pan from Our Place has a cult following for a reason: It can do just about anything in the kitchen. This red shade is perfect for Lunar New Year, and the pan takes the place of nine different kitchen tools, making it a major space-saver. For a limited time, you also get a free bamboo steamer with your Always Pan purchase, which will ensure the potstickers are perfectly cooked at your dinner party.
