The Shrine.co Celebrates The Year Of The Ox

Chinese New Year in China via USA Today

February marks the beginning of the most celebrated holiday on Earth, Chinese New Year. Annually, over 1 billion people celebrate Chinese New Year [aka Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, or CNY], which is extremely impressive. Over the last 3,500 years people have used the holiday as a way to start fresh, reconnect with loved ones, and collectively hope for a good year. Cultures around the globe welcome the new year with some type of celebration, but Spring Festival is like no other. More people travel for CNY than any other holiday on Earth.

Over the course of sixteen days* communities come together and host a variety of activities that mix the past and present. To celebrate the holiday, we're releasing three red envelope inspired Chinese New Year bags! Our Sneaker Daypack drops on Friday, 1/29, our Weekender Backpack releases on Friday, 2/5, and our Sneaker Duffle Bag comes out on Friday, 2/12!

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There are three main phases to CNY - the Little Year, Spring Festival, and the Lantern Festival. The Little Year is when preparations for the new year begin, and they last until New Years Eve. Main activities include house cleaning to sweep away bad luck (扫年 / sǎo nián), and prayer to the Stove God (祭灶 / jì zào). 

Celebration via USA Today

From the 12th to the 22nd, Spring Festival officially begins. The Reunion Dinner, the most important meal of the year, takes place on New Years Eve. After dinner, the children will receive the red envelopes we're all familiar with. The family stays up late and waits for the New Year (守岁 / shǒu suì) much like Western New Year.

Lastly comes the Lantern Festival, and the the most important activity can be expected... making lanterns. Lantern Riddles (猜灯谜 / cāi dēng mí) is a game played by writing riddles on lanterns around this time. As it is a full moon that day, moon-gazing amidst lanterns is the best way to celebrate the night's beauty. 

Lanterns via USA Today

Here are some fun facts about Chinese New Year, and The Year Of The Ox:

• Marriage plays a key part of the holiday festivities. There is a day dedicated to the in-law’s (迎婿日 / yíng xù rì). On this day, a married daughter must bring her husband and children to her parent’s home. She brings a gift bag of crackers and candies, which her mother will divide between neighbors. This simple gift shows that “it’s the thought that counts” and expresses the daughter’s longing for her hometown. Son-in-laws are expected to celebrate with their parents by marriage too.
• Years Of The Ox are: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, and 2021.
• The Year Of The OX is a lucky year, and the Ox in Chinese Zodiac is hard working and methodical - just like us!

The Shrine.co in China

In a way, we consider ourselves a part of greater Chinese community. The Shrine Co proudly produces our products in China, and we value our relationship with the country and its traditions. For six years we've produced our bags in Dongguan City with Travel Best Ltd; and they've been with us since the beginning! A special part of our relationship is their approach to manufacturing. Instead of creating our bags in a large factory, our work is distributed to smaller, family-owned factories. Contrary to what some might think about Chinese manufacturing, our bags are the product of teamwork with some of the finest manufacturers in the world.

Our bags being made in Dongguan City

We pride ourselves on our direct quality control and input throughout the manufacturing process, so we visit the Guangdong Province as often as possible. Our on-the-ground partner treats us like royalty every time we journey to China. It's a blast. 

A meal in China, yum

From the food, to the landscapes, to the culture - everything is just great. Our manufacturing partners embody the spirt of Chinese New Year because they treat us like a part of their family, and embrace our future goals for the coming year. Be sure to grab your part of the holiday with our collection of bags that drop throughout Chinese New Year. Our Sneaker Daypack drops on Friday, 1/29, our Weekender Backpack releases on Friday, 2/5, and our Sneaker Duffle Bag comes out on Friday, 2/12!

Happy New Year! Xin nian kuai le新年快乐!

* The length of Chinese New Year varies from year to year.