Lunar New Year (also colloquially known as Spring Festival) commences on Saturday, February 10. Joining the AAPI community in celebration, as families and loved ones enjoy food, music and nostalgic games, Johnnie Walker returns with its 11th commemorative limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year bottle, crafted in partnership with Taiwanese-American visual artist James Jean. Dedicated to the Year of the Dragon, the exclusive bottle design pays homage to the Wood Dragon’s cultural significance as a symbol of strength, achievement and health. Memories made laughing around the table can last a lifetime, and luckily, Johnnie Walker is happy to host a sampling of party throwbacks essential to start the lunar year on a positive note. Pull up a chair to this year’s virtual dinner party to explore novelty items commonly incorporated in Lunar New Year gatherings.
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At the heart of the Lunar New Year, centuries-old and new traditions mark a period of reflection and transformation just before the turn of spring. For the past ten years, Johnnie Walker has held its own Lunar New Year's tradition, collaborating with a visionary artist to custom-design a bottle inspired by the lunar animal. The 2024 Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year limited-edition bottle was made in collaboration with Taiwanese-American visual artist James Jean and dedicated to the Year of the Dragon. Echoing Johnnie Walker’s motto, Keep Walking, Jean's imaginative illustration depicts the Wood Dragon taking flight from a bed of flora and fauna. The layered artwork champions harnessing a fiery and confident spirit, inviting contemporary changemakers and creators to unlock their inner dragon.
JOHNNIE WALKER BOTTLE
At Lunar New Year, it’s a custom to give family members and close friends a lucky red envelope commonly filled with money. Gold inlay designs usually adorn the envelope, symbolic of gold coins placed underneath pillows to ward off negative energy. The gesture is all the more impactful by using crisp, fresh bills, welcoming a prosperous and spirited entry into spring. Younger generations have popularized the exchange of virtual hóngbāo.
red envelope
Oranges, persimmons, kumquats and tangerines are often used as table decorations during the Lunar New Year to manifest luck and happiness, along with citrus fruits like pomelos. The pomelo, in particular, holds semantic value to native Mandarin speakers. The word is a homonym meaning “to have,” a double entendre for personal fortune and financial advancement. Fruits with bright orange and yellow skins displayed alongside floral accents, like pussy willows and chrysanthemums, signal fresh beginnings and coming prosperity.
fruit tray
Koma is a spinning Japanese wooden toy that symbolizes the flow and rotation of money, happiness and good luck for the year ahead. It manifests smooth transitions in life and work as the seasons slowly shift. Koma are often decorated with red, black, green and yellow paint to keep good health, strength and fortune in circulation.
Koma Spinning Top
Known for its shuttlecock-like shape, traditional Korean Jegichagi is a popular (and, for many, nostalgic) outdoor game likened to hacky sack, where players repeatedly kick a paper jegi — often depicted as a sparkling, multicolored paper object. The goal is to keep the jegi afloat in the air; once it lands, the game restarts. Jegichagi can be played alone, in a group setting or by children who've grown bored of the dinner table during family functions.
Jegichagi
A quick vibe check courtesy of Johnnie Walker. Settle into the right vibe as you celebrate the Lunar New Year and new beginnings. Johnnie Walker's curated playlist offers a classic selection of seasonal hits and nostalgic tunes so you can keep the conversations flowing over the candlelight.
record player
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As family members gather to enjoy delicious seasonal dishes, traditional ceramics and plateware — like Guangcai (Canton porcelain) — punctuate the holiday’s homemade fixings. The color red, for example, nods to wealth and happiness — sometimes referenced through red paper lanterns or candles set on the table. This homage to the Qing Dynasty arrives courtesy of Wing on Wo & Co. (W.O.W.), a brand based in New York City's Chinatown neighborhood specializing in bespoke porcelain products. Placed amongst elaborate floral arrangements, Guangcai adds thoughtful charm to the dinner table.
Handmade Plateware
