Happy (almost) Lunar New Year! Saturday, Jan 28th marks the Year of the Rooster! I always love looking up what my lunar zodiac has in store for me and the year ahead. Let’s hope that this is a good one.

Growing up, I always had two new year’s celebrations – one for the actual start of the year and one for the lunar new year. Unlike our new year, the lunar new year date changes each year based on the lunar calendar. There are also quite a few traditions that lead up to and during this wonderful celebration – but the one that most people tend to be curious about is the giving of those beautiful little red envelopes!

Details! Details! Details about how they were “filled” with money. The truth of the matter is, those envelopes typically carry a small denomination of money like a $1 bill. The money is actually symbolic of the good fortune that is wished for you in this new year rather than an actual currency that you can go spend like a Christmas gift. As an adult, I do miss getting those but sometimes my mom will swing one my way. (she’s the best!) Luckily, I can now share those traditions with my little nieces, nephews and cousins.

As a New Years present to myself, I found this little panda gem in the heart of Chinatown, at my favorite bubble tea spot. (New Dong Khanh) How amazing and funny is this ‘What the Pho?’ tee. For those who may not know what ‘pho‘ is, it is an extremely popular Vietnamese noodle soup dish made with a bone broth and many delicious toppings. If you ever get the chance to try it, you should. I promise that you won’t regret it. I actually prefer it instead of a chicken noodle soup when I am feeling under the weather. I am drooling right now just thinking about it….

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading about this wonderful culture that I was raised in. I wish you a year filled with good fortune and health! Happy New Year or as we say in Vietnamese:

Chúc mừng năm mới!

OUTFIT
Outerwear || Mackage Leather Accent Jacket, same here
Top || New Dong Khanh Restaurant, Chinatown
Bottoms || J Brand Jeans
Shoes || Sam Edelmen Sneakers, similar here and here
Accessories || Buxton Patent Leather purse, Cole Haan Sunglasses,
Alexys Ryan Necklace