New year, new marketing scheme. This is essentially the motto for Western brands when Lunar New Year comes back around. Just look at the limited-edition Lunar New Year Stanley cup, a cream or red tumbler with some dragon scale detailing, that sold out in 30 minutes.
The 3,500-year-old holiday was celebrated over the weekend in China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and other diasporic communities. While each culture has their own traditions to honor the new year according to the lunisolar calendar, the holiday is largely about attracting luck, wealth and good health for the future. Unsurprisingly, the West has taken the holiday for itself and managed to use it to its own advantage. With brands dropping successful Lunar New Year collections, it’s predominantly white people who are raking in the cash for the holiday despite not finding any meaning in it.
