Celebrating A Sustainable Lunar New Year

Izzy Manuel is a sustainable and ethical fashion and lifestyle content creator who believes in imperfect sustainability and celebrating the small changes. Today, Izzy is sharing her personal experience of celebrating the Lunar New Year and how big corporations have been benefiting off the back of cultural appropriation.

In Chinese culture, the Lunar New Year is all about welcoming the good vibes, out with the old and I suppose out with the things that no longer serve us and in with all things good and bring us joy. It is a symbol of a fresh start, similar to how we celebrate the calendar New Year.  It is a time of year where we spend time with loved ones. For my family, it isn’t about lavish gifts and it never has been. It is simply a time to spend with the people we love, which in reality is just a big meal where we all sit at the table, share food and have a good laugh. My mum this year had New Year’s day all planned, a big breakfast which included all the different New Year cakes (they are very different to cakes in the UK), followed by a lunch out and then a big dinner at home; it’s a whole day of celebrations and truly one of my favourite times of the year. 

Over the years we have seen more and more brands dropping Lunar New Year collections, from Burberry, Our Place and Lush; the big boys are out to play. It is so nice to see brands appreciating different cultures and traditions; and on a personal note, seeing my culture or at least half of it (the other half being Indian) being celebrated brings me great joy. However, there is a different side to this sudden appreciation, which can feel like cultural appropriation. Are these brands jumping on the Lunar New Year bandwagon just to make some extra buck, or are they truly celebrating different cultures, traditions and people?