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Enjoy Lunar New Year at Panda Express

Wishing you great happiness and prosperity this Lunar New Year! February 5-19 marks the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, and the Year of the Pig in the Chinese zodiac.

It is celebrated by the coming together of family and friends to feast and welcome the new year. A variety of lucky foods are traditionally eaten for their symbolic meaning surrounding either their Chinese pronunciation or physical appearance—with individual dishes representing specific aspects of good fortune to come in the new year. For example: 

  • Egg rolls symbolize wealth
  • Chow mein noodles symbolize long life
  • Shrimp symbolize happiness

Another tradition of Lunar New Year is the giving of red envelopes, called hong bao in Mandarin. These monetary gifts are presented at social and family gatherings to children and unmarried adults during Lunar New Year. The color red symbolizes good luck and is said to ward off evil spirits. 

To bring good fortune to your family this year, visit your nearest Panda Express location. You can make your own red envelope donation to kids treated at Cottage Children’s Medical at the register.

With your help, in 2018, Panda Express employees and customers donated more than $100,000 to Cottage Children’s Medical Center and made a huge impact on the healthcare of kids in our community. Thank you for continuing your support!