Lunar New Year Is Here, and the Merch Is Fire This Year

Envelopes filled with money, steamed dumplings, human-driven dragons in parades—what’s not to love about Lunar New Year? (And why can’t Western holidays follow a moon-based calendar, man? Buncha FOOLS.) We look forward to every Lunar New Year, but this year we’re kicking off celebrations with a special reminder to support Chinese and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) businesses in your own community, and on the web from the comfort of your couch. 

It’s the Year of the Rabbit, y’all, and we could definitely use some of that pleasant energy during the long, cold winter. This year, the rabbit approaches with a fingerlicking selection of drops and collaborations from brands, including a spicy, new flavor from Fly by Jing, a collab apron between Omsom and Dawang, an awesome New Year Care Pack gift set from Umamicart, some pretty fly Year of the Rabbit lace-up boots from Dr. Martens, some pretty, red envelopes from Yun Hai, and more.

It’s also easier than ever to shop for Asian groceries online, and marketplaces such as Umamicart have curated an entire Lunar New Year smorgasbord for you and some hungry buds to get jolly. The limits of Lunar goodness know no bounds in 2023, and we’re all about it, so let’s dive in. 

NYC institution Pearl River Mart was founded as a “friendship store” by Chinese immigrants in 1971, and has become a mainstay for all sorts of goods, from fashion and decor to food and drink. Its Year of the Rabbit Friendship Box includes notepads, snacks, noisemakers, lucky charms, money envelopes, and more.

Ah, what we would do to have a lover ladle everything from Fly by Jing into our mouths while we sit on a faux-bearskin rug. The Sichuan-centric craft food brand was founded in 2018 by chef Jing Gao, who says she was inspired by “the amazing flavors of my hometown Chengdu and its famous fly restaurants—soulful hole-in-the-wall eateries so good they attract diners like flies.” The brand just went live with Sichuan Gold, a new chili oil that’s 9x (!) the spice of Fly by Jing’s classic chili oil.

VICE reader- and editor-approved cookware producer Our Place is at it again with a new collection honoring the Lunar New Year. The Rice Bowl Set includes handmade Year of the Rabbit-inspired rice bowls, bamboo chopsticks, and chopstick rests. The brand also released a limited-edition version of its beloved Always Pan in a festive firecracker red. 

With headquarters in Taichung, Taiwan, and New York City, Yun Hai offers “premium ingredients for Chinese and Taiwanese cooking.” For this Lunar New Year, however, Yun Hai teamed up with 0.00 to create a gorgeous series of Year of the Rabbit red envelopes to give “lucky money” for a prosperous year ahead.

Makeup icon Pat McGrath has dropped The Lunar New Year Collection, which features some pretty attractive lip and eye items. Check out the lipstick, or just go all-in on the Everything Kit.

When we just don’t have enough juice left in our one working brain cell to whip up a homemade sauce, Omsom’s starter sauce packets swoop in to elevate our humble stir fries, fish, and veggies. Founded by Vietnamese-American sisters Vanessa and Kim Pham, the pantry brand can help even the most kitchen-illiterate create delicious dishes including Chinese mala salad, or integrate Vietnamese lemongrass blends into their BBQs. As good as its food is, Omsom went on a full-on fashion turn for this Lunar New Year by collaborating with Dawang on a limited-edition apron top.

Beloved shoe brand Dr. Martens has dropped a new collection called Year of the Rabbit, which features the company’s iconic black leather with red stitching and a striking red heel loop; a zipper down the middle distinguishes these boots as something truly worth stomping around in in 2023.

Tower 28 is back again with two special Lunar New Year bundles. Both come with limited-edition sticker packs designed by AAPI illustrator Kimi Kimo.

We can’t believe Umamicart hasn’t been around forever, because we can’t imagine our pantries without the immense joy the online Asian grocery store brings. Umamicart has many hundreds of ingredients that include produce, frozen meats and fish, pantry goods, and enough Pocky and snacks to fuel our week-long Netflix binges. To celebrate the Lunar New Year, the brand is offering gift sets featuring goodies like chili crisp, shrimp chips, bubble tea, ramen, and more.  

Happy Lunar New Year!

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.