Lunar New Year, which began Saturday, 2/10, represents the arrival of spring and begins on the second moon of the winter solstice, with the exact dates changing annually to align with the calendar. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon—symbolizing power, strength and good fortune.
While our Abercrombie and Hollister brands are running exclusive Lunar New Year collections in APAC to commemorate the holiday, our Global Home Office (GHO) in Columbus, Ohio, also showed up to celebrate.
Food can act as a powerful bridge to help us gather, connect and learn more about other cultures. Our BIPOC and Allies Associate Resource Group (ARG) collaborated with our café management company, Bon Appétit, and organized a weeklong Lunar New Year-themed lunch menu for associates. The menu featured items like Peking duck with gyoza (dumplings) and Gai Lan (broccoli with garlic and oyster sauce), as well as bone broth ramen with beef, nori (seaweed) and fried daikon (radish).
To satisfy the sweet tooth, the ARG also sponsored complimentary boba drinks—also known as bubble tea—at our daily “3 at 3” snack time. Gretchen Messmer, the BIPOC ARG’s membership ambassador & sub-committee lead, says that bringing a tea bar to GHO was a no brainer.
“Tea drinking is a huge cultural identity in Asian culture. It’s an art. It cleanses the soul and nourishes the mind,” said Messmer. “Having this opportunity to educate and celebrate the culture with associates is so important to inclusion.”
CEO Fran Horowitz also celebrated Lunar New Year when she traveled with other GHO leaders to the APAC Home Office in Shanghai, China. Activities included Chinese calligraphy and sugar painting.
Fran brought a little piece of the festivities home with her to adorn GHO. Currently on display near the main lobby are decorative pieces of red paper inclusive of well wishes for good fortune, courtesy of our APAC leaders and associates.
It allows everyone to experience something they typically wouldn’t in their normal day-to-day.”
Gretchen Messmer
Find more of our Lunar New Year photos on Instagram.
