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Lunar New Year: Ritual, Renewal, and the Energy of the Horse
Lunar New Year is a season of intention — a time to gather, clear space, and step forward with purpose.
We spoke with four women in our community — Cindy Yu, founder of Eleven Eleven Communications; Moira Fong, retired lawyer and university instructor; Natasha Neale, founder of Little Mountain Shop; and Amélie Thủy Nguyễn, founder and creative behind Anh and Chi, Good Thief, and Mẹ’s Marketplace — about their Lunar New Year traditions, wellness rituals, and what the season means to them. Together, their reflections reveal shared themes of ritual, care, and renewal.
As we enter the Year of the Horse, an energy defined by vitality, independence, and momentum, these insights feel especially timely.
Food, Family, and Gathering
At the heart of Lunar New Year is the table — where tradition, memory, and meaning come together.
Across families, celebration begins with food prepared with intention and symbolism. Multi-course meals represent abundance, prosperity, happiness, and togetherness — not just nourishment, but inherited gestures passed down through generations.
For Cindy Yu, Lunar New Year often coincides with her father’s birthday, blending cultural tradition with personal celebration. Moira Fong describes New Year’s Eve feasts anchored by dishes that symbolize prosperity and unity, while honouring elders through long-held customs.
For Amélie Thủy Nguyễn, the celebration brings her extended family together at her grandparents’ or eldest relatives’ home. Traditional dishes — from sticky glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf to pork belly, crab, fruit, and sweets — anchor the day, alongside wearing traditional Vietnamese áo dài, exchanging red envelopes, and sharing well wishes. “Together we eat, laugh, cry, and have a loud and fun time,” she shares.
Clearing Space Through Ritual
Preparation for the new year begins before the celebration itself.
Homes are deep-cleaned to sweep away bad luck. Haircuts are booked in advance. On New Year’s Day, restraint is practiced — no scissors, no washing hair — a quiet respect for the transition into a new cycle.
These rituals are not about superstition alone, but intention. Natasha Neale embraces Lunar New Year customs fully, seeing them as a way to create a physical and emotional reset — and welcoming any opportunity to invite a little extra luck.
Wellness as Renewal
The idea of renewal extends beyond tradition and into daily practice.
Across these conversations, wellness is less about optimization and more about rhythm. Slow mornings. Warm beverages. Moments of stillness before movement.
Cindy Yu begins her day with meditation and intention-setting to cultivate calm energy, while Moira Fong treats wellness as a daily commitment — prioritizing movement, time outdoors, hydration, and evening practices of gratitude and reflection.
For Amélie Thủy Nguyễn, wellness is evolving into a new ritual: hot Vietnamese phin coffee with condensed milk, a grounding check-in with a close friend, and a focused day working from home — small moments of connection and nourishment that set the tone for balance.
Stepping Into the Year of the Fire Horse
The Fire Horse appears only once every 60 years — a powerful convergence associated with action, freedom, and momentum.
After a year defined by shedding and challenge, Cindy Yu sees this year as an invitation to embrace rapid change and forward movement. Natasha Neale echoes this readiness, sharing that she’s eager to step into a new chapter defined by possibility.
For Amélie Thủy Nguyễn, the Fire Horse calls for a more inward focus — staying calm, decluttering personal and professional life, and creating space for aligned growth. It’s a reminder that forward momentum can be intentional and grounded, not rushed.
Carrying the Season Forward
Lunar New Year is both a moment and a mindset.
It reminds us that renewal is layered — found in shared meals, inherited stories, meaningful rituals, and daily wellness practices. As the Year of the Fire Horse begins, the invitation is clear: honour what has shaped you, release what no longer serves you, and move forward with vitality, intention, and care.
