Festive Flavors Return For Sugarfina's Lunar New Year Candy Collection
Celebrating a Western-style new year typically spans a mere two days, involving New Year's Eve events and the official New Year's Day observance. That's a far cry from the multi-day rituals of the Lunar New Year, embraced by many Asian cultures and rife with deep symbolism. A festive ambiance pervades, cloaking the season in hues of red, which embody concepts such as prosperity, power, warding off evil, fertility, and celebration, explains the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art. That's why red splashes across the globe in Lunar New Year parades, clothing, doorways, lantern rituals, red-envelope exchanges, religious ceremonies, and more. The vermillion, scarlet, or crimson red colors also wrap around countless gifts and products, including the festive candy collection from Sugarfina.
Though consumers expect red packaging every year, what lies inside the company's standard bento-style and clear-cube boxes is typically a sweet surprise. As explained in a press release received by Tasting Table, individual boxes and expanded bundles honor new year themes, including the 2023 Year of the Rabbit bundle as well as Lion Dance and Lunar Garden boxes. Some of the Sugarfina festive flavors are returning favorites while other offerings are new creations. At least three carry a "limited-edition" tag in the product descriptions.
Clear cubes with colorful gummies, chocolate, and almonds
The 2023 Lunar New Year begins on January 22, according to Reader's Digest. Festivities in this "Year of the Rabbit" run for up to 15 days, depending on the country. But Sugarfina's Lunar New Year candy collection stretches the sweetness over roughly five weeks, from January 1 to February 5, according to Westfield Fashion Square. Sugarfina Lotus Flower red gummy candies have returned, featuring lychee flavor in a 2-inch, clear cube-style box. Each candy is lotus-shaped, notes Nordstrom. This represents having a pure mind and heart. More gummy-loaded cubes carry the sweet-and-tart Strawberry Hearts.
Buyers also have access to a Peach Blossom candy trunk, which comes filled with nine miniature cubes bearing seasonal specialties or Sugarfina favorites such as Coconut Toffee Macadamias and Pink Citrus Ginger Bears. Lucky Mandarin Orange gummies in cube-shaped boxes sold out but may still be available as part of various gift box bundles. New Green Tea Almonds candies also come in see-through cubes and feature white chocolate-coated California almonds that boast green tea flavor. Chocolate gets another nod with the Gold Pearls candy cube stuffed with milk chocolate encased in a glistening gold sugar shell.
In keeping with holiday tradition, customers can pick up some traditional lucky red envelopes with gold-foil trim, per the company's website. The envelopes, which have varying significance and customs depending on the country, typically get stuffed with money and gifted to children or family members to symbolize good luck, explains the Seattle Times.