*A look back at more than six years of Apple’s Lunar and Japanese New Year exclusives.*

Apple has a long history of celebrating the Japanese and Chinese New Year with special discounts, products, and promotions during the holiday season.

Over the years, this has included partnerships with local artists in China, seasonal sales across Asian markets, and Japan’s beloved Lucky Bag promotion, which ran until 2015.

More recently, beginning in 2021, Apple shifted toward releasing its own limited-edition products branded with that year’s zodiac animal. The tradition began with the Year of the Ox in 2021 and has continued through 2026, with Apple most recently announcing special Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore.

I couldn’t find a resource that collated all this information, so for posterity’s sake, I wanted to create a small archive of the graphics and products Apple has released during this era. Enjoy!

Year of the Rat

Jan 25, 2020 – Feb 11, 2021

*Special envelopes featuring this mouse-inspired design were given out with Apple Gift Cards to customers who made qualifying purchases during the Japanese New Year sale.*

I'm including this year because while Apple didn't release any products, it appears to have started the motif of blending thats year zodiac animal into the Apple logo.

That year Apple offered special discounts in the form of a Apple gift card on select products in Japan, similar to sales like Black Friday in Western Markets.

Year of the Ox

Feb 11, 2021 - Jan 31, 2022

Apple ran its Japanese New Year (Shōgatsu) sale on January 2 and 3 without any zodiac branding.

However, starting in other Asian markets, Apple marked the Chinese New Year by releasing a limited-edition Year of the Ox AirPods Pro.

Gallery showcasing the Year of the Ox AirPod engraving, AirPods Pro, and packaging.

These AirPods came in a special box and featured the same Ox engraving on the charging case. They were sold in select Asian markets including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Only 25,400 Ox-engraved AirPods Pro were produced, so count yourself lucky if you managed to get one of them.

Year of the Tiger

Feb 1, 2022 – Jan 21, 2023

Following the launch of AirTag earlier that spring, Apple released a special limited-edition Year of the Tiger AirTag as part of its New Year promotion in Japan.

*The Tiger AirTag design for the Japanese New Year promotion.*

During the two-day event, the first 20,000 customers who purchased an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, or iPhone SE received a complimentary AirTag featuring a unique Year of the Tiger engraving. Interestingly, this artwork was different from the tiger design used on the AirPods Pro released for Chinese New Year, making it a distinct collectible in its own right.

Then, on January 1, 2022, Apple launched a special Year of the Tiger AirPods Pro set in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore. Customers who purchased the AirPods in store also received a set of 12 special red envelopes, each featuring emoji-style zodiac characters dressed in adorable tiger costumes.

Gallery showcasing the Year of the Tiger AirPods engraving, AirPods Pro, and packaging.

*Red envelopes featuring the 12 zodiac characters wearing tiger costumes. Source:* *ifanr* *on Weibo*

Year of the Rabbit

Jan 22, 2023 - Feb 9, 2024

For the Year of the Rabbit, Apple once again released a special limited-edition AirTag as part of its New Year sale in Japan. It was limited to the first 30,000 customers who purchased a new iPhone SE, iPhone 12, or iPhone 13. Buyers also received a special Apple Store Gift Card worth ¥8,000

*The Rabbit AirTag design for the Japanese New Year promotion.*

*Japan New Year Edition gift card design.*

For Chinese New Year, Apple released a limited-edition Year of the Rabbit engraving on the new AirPods Pro (2nd generation) for customers in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Gallery showcasing the Year of the Rabbit AirPods engraving, AirPods Pro 2, and packaging.

Year of the Dragon

Feb 10, 2024 – Jan 28, 2025

For the Japanese New Year, Apple once again released a special AirTag, this time celebrating the Year of the Dragon. Nearly doubling the previous year’s run, the first 50,000 customers in Japan who purchased a new iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 13, or third-generation iPhone SE received this limited-edition accessory, along with an Apple Gift Card featuring the same design as the year prior.

*The Dragon AirTag design for the Japanese New Year promotion.*

For Chinese New Year, customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam could, for a limited time, purchase a special Year of the Dragon edition of AirPods Pro (2nd generation with USB-C charging case).

Gallery showcasing the Year of the Dragon AirPods engraving, AirPods Pro 2, and packaging.

Year of the Snake

Jan 29, 2025 – Feb 16, 2026

In Japan, from January 2 to 5, Apple once again ran its New Year sale, offering special discounts to Japanese customers along with a limited-edition Year of the Snake AirTag for the first 50,000 people who purchased an iPhone 15, iPhone 14, or iPhone SE.

*The Snake AirTag design for the Japanese New Year promotion.*

Meanwhile, in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, Apple once again released special Year of the Snake AirPods, this time using the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. During this period, Apple also offered discounts on select products, and several third-party accessory makers released snake-themed items to join in the celebration.

Gallery showcasing the Year of the Snake AirPods engraving, AirPods 4, and packaging.

Year of the Horse

Feb 17, 2026 – Feb 5, 2027

This year, as part of the Japanese New Year promotion, Apple moved away from zodiac-themed AirTags and instead offered a limited-edition AirTag featuring a Daruma doll, a traditional symbol of perseverance and good luck for the year ahead. The AirTag was available to the first 65,000 customers in Japan who purchased an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, or iPhone 16e.

*The Daruma AirTag design for the Japanese New Year promotion.*

A special Apple Gift Card design was also created and included with qualifying purchases.

*Japan New Year Edition Gift card design for 2026.*

In China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore, Apple is offering a limited-edition Year of the Horse engraving on the newly announced AirPods Pro 3 as part of its Lunar New Year celebration.

Gallery showcasing the Year of the Horse AirPods engraving, AirPods Pro 3, and packaging.

Sources

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-holding-new-years-shopping-event-in-japan-on-january-2.2217282/?post=28097808

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/06/apple-ox-themed-airpods-pro-china/

https://macfan.book.mynavi.jp/article/36574/

https://m.weibo.cn/status/4720927805801613

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/12/27/apple-japan-new-year-limited-edition-airtag/

https://www.macrumors.com/2023/12/26/apples-japanese-new-year-promotion-2024/

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/01/17/airpods-pro-year-of-dragon/

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/12/26/apple-japan-new-year-promotion/

https://x.com/noric2014/status/2004593600957685956?s=61

https://www.macrumors.com/2025/12/30/apple-to-give-away-limited-edition-airtag-in-japan/

https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/01/05/limited-edition-year-of-the-horse-airpods-pro-3-go-on-sale-in-china

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/12/25/apple-japan-new-years-event-2020/

Lunar New Year