Chinese New Year is on the 8th of February and its always a huge occasion for families and businesses across the world. If you are new to being involved in the celebrations or just want to make your Chinese customers feel welcomed, here are a few traditions that you should know and as a business are easy to get on board with.
Have a clear out before the New Year.
This is a tradition that is observed by both businesses and at home. Many people are familiar with the idea with starting fresh by having a clean and this is where it comes from. You can see most people trying to get their homes or the business affairs in order before the new idea as its symbolically clearing out all the negativity from the last year. Be careful not to clean immediately in the New Year as it can be seen as ‘sweeping away wealth’ and considered bad luck.
Red is a very lucky colour.
The colour red is very significant in Chinese culture as it is said to bring good luck and ward off spirits of bad fortune. Red decorations and gifts of all kinds will be sold everywhere around Chinese New Year as they make very good presents. Red is often worn over the New Year to encourage good luck and wealth in to your life. If you want to get involved with this tradition, wearing a red tie or accessories to meetings would be a quick and easy way to show you identify the importance of this holiday to clients.
Use the number 8 but avoid ‘4’ at all costs.
In Chinese culture, numbers hold significant importance as they double meanings. The number eight in Cantonese sounds similar to ‘fat’ which also means ‘wealth’. In the same way, the number four sounds a lot like ‘death’. Businesses will often try leave this number out of their work as it is deemed so unlucky. You may struggle to find a number 4 bus in parts of Asia as a result of superstition.
Chinese New Year is a time for family.
Everywhere will shut down over the Chinese New Year and as a business; you need to fully respect this. Chinese consumers and businesses put a strong emphasis on families so it is important to allow workers and clients to enjoy this time. Many people will travel across the world to spend a few days with their families, just as they do at Christmas time.
20016 is the year of the Monkey, we hope you have a fab time with friends, family and colleagues!