Year of the Ox

In recent years we’ve noticed that celebrating the lunar new year (particularly Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival) has been adopted by more and more brands. Global trends and the crushing of distance via social media makes these kinds of holidays much more front and center for the rest of the world.

More than just a singular day of festivities, Chinese New Year lasts for fifteen days ending in the Lantern festival.

Each year one of twelve animals from Chinese folklore represents the year as part of a 60 cycle rotating calendar. To simplify, the animal acts as a guide for the year and as a horoscope for anyone born into it. Both the year and the people who share its zodiac sign are imbued with personality traits, values, yin or yang, and the qualities of an element (water, wood, fire, earth, and metal.)

This year is The Year of the Metal Ox. Hardworking, reliable, and honest, oxen bring steadiness, calm, movement and understanding of boundaries.

Common symbols of the celebration, firecrackers and the color red, come from the holiday’s mythological origin.

Here are some of the brands embracing the lunar new year for 2021 - ranging in scope from apparel to food/beverage, and toys.

TOMS shoes and Moleskine notebooks

Brooks Brothers and Naked & Famous denim

LEGO and L.O.L. Surprise

Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Starbucks (US)

Esteé Lauder and Tory Burch

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Look for more growth of Lunar New Year celebrations in the oncoming decade as the world continues to shrink - with ways to connect across the globe - and the broadening acceptance and interest in other cultures, especially by younger generations, grows. Our appetite for new experiences and global flavors follows, especially in a pandemic landscape where seeking joy and predicting our own fortunes have become an almost daily quest.

新年快乐 or Happy New Year!