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Celebrate the Lunar New Year
with Your Business Associates
By Angi
Ma Wong
You don't have to spend a lot of money to show respect for
your local ethnic population. For example, the lunar new year usually
falls between January 21 and February 20 on the Gregorian calendar.
This year, the
Year
of the Horse,
began on February 12, 2002 through January 31, 2003.
Businesses close
down and everyone celebrates by taking several days off. There are
family obligations to attend to, meals to cook, homes to clean,
debts to pay off, haircuts to get, and new clothes to purchase -
all in anticipation of New Year's day.
Plan for
next year's Lunar New Year - the Year of the Sheep beginning February
1, 2003 to January 21, 2004.
The operative color is red
for
good luck and gold for prosperity, and luckily, this major holiday
occurs right before Valentine's Day. A trip to any Chinatown will
reap many inexpensive decorations that you could put up in your
place of business. You may have a giveaway of Chinese wall calendars
(buy them at least six weeks before because they usually sell out
quickly.) or just display a basket at the counter, lined with a
red cloth napkin and filled with tangerines (preferably with stem
and leaves). Invite your customers to take two of the fruits and
wish them a happy new year.
Give the children who come with their parents to your place of business
two shiny new dimes or quarters in red envelopes. Again, these can
be purchased for about two dollars for two dozen in grocery, book,
and gift stores in areas that have large Chinese or Vietnamese populations.
Or you can send a new year's card to your Asian clients, customers,
friends, and neighbors. This is a very popular practice and there
are a wide variety available. The celebration may continue for two
weeks.
Reprinted
by courtesy of author Angi Ma Wong, from her best-selling book,
Target: The U.S. Asian Market, A Practical Guide To Doing Business,
1993.
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Other articles by Angi Ma Wong
Crash
Course on Asian Corporate Etiquette
The
Significance of Numbers
The
Significance of Colors
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