Every Lunar New Year has a mascot, but 2026's breakout star wasn't planned — or even designed correctly. Instead, it was born from a factory error.
A plush toy meant to celebrate the Year of the Horse accidentally shipped with his mouth sewn on upside down giving him wide eyes, slanted brows and a wide frown. Thus, the adorable little guy ended up looking less like a sign of good luck in the new year, and more like how we all feel right now: emotionally overwhelmed.
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Zhang Huoqing, owner of the shop that sold the defective plushie, said she offered a refund to the customer that purchased the horse that had the sewing error, but they never returned. Instead, they posted a picture of him online and he went viral.
"People joked that the Crying Horse is how you look at work, while the smiling one is how you look after work," Zhang said. Then, demand surged for Crying Horse, so Zhang decided to make more of them. And now they're everywhere.
In this article: Gencokok Crying Horse Plush Toy, Generic Crying Horse 2026 Chinese New Year Horses Plush and Abitoncc 2026 Year of The Red Horse Plush Toy
It's hard to ignore that we're only one month into 2026 and Crying Horse looks like how we feel. Lunar New Year mascots usually promise prosperity and joy, but this one feels more realistic. It says, "We're all trying our best." And right now, that just feels right.
Want to get your own Crying Horse? You can snag the viral toy online — or shop other Lunar New Year gifts on the list below.
Gencokok Crying Horse Plush Toy
Get the viral toy in a compact, 8-inch size, complete with golden bells, a fluffy tail and the adorable frowning expression that made him famous.
Generic Crying Horse, 2026 Chinese New Year Horses Plush
This Crying horse plush is also around 8 inches tall, with a golden collar and bell and the wide-eyed, frowning expression that makes him so relatable.
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Abitoncc 2026 Year of The Red Horse Plush Toy
If Crying Horse isn't your vibe, get this lucky zodiac plush: a smiling red horse with 2026 on its blanket, meant to act as a good luck mascot for the year.
Skylety 4-Pack Year of the Horse Decorations
This set includes four different horse plushes in different colors, with hanging strings so you can attach them to bags or put them on display around your home.
Droutti 2 Pcs 2026 Chinese New Year Plush Horse Stuffed Animals
These two smaller horse figurines are covered in shiny red sequins, making them great display pieces to help ring in the Lunar New Year. Since they match, you can gift one to a friend or family member.
LOTADILO 2026 Chinese New Year Plush Decoration
This plush horse is like the polar opposite of Crying Horse — it has a wide grin and two extra legs giving enthusiastic thumbs up. If you're feeling optimistic about 2026, this is the toy for you.
This LEGO calendar celebrates Lunar New Year traditions. Build traditional scenes from a Dragon Boat Festival, and display the calendar all year long — it has movable pieces that allow you to change the date.
Teeturtle Reversible Hello Kitty Year of The Horse Lunar New Year Plushie
This mini reversible plush features Hello Kitty in Year of the Horse styling, a collectible for fans that celebrates the new year in kawaii style.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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