Only a few days away from the biggest event of the year for the people in China: Chinese New Year (CNY)! Besides the traditional festival celebrations, it is also an opportunity for most people working in foreign provinces to return to their hometown for an annual visit. Almost all businesses will go on a long holiday except for those in big cities like Shanghai and Beijing. Operations in our China factories will also be halted during the CNY period.

However, unlike standard bank holidays in Europe and the US, Chinese factories do not have fixed dates for their CNY holidays. We thought it might be interesting to gather the holiday dates of some of our main factories and see if there are specific trends.

Factory Dates for CNY

Factory Dates for CNY

As seen from the chart above, some factories will be closed for as long as a month while some are just taking a week’s break. The results shown seem to have no particular trend.

According to factories, these are the two main factors that determine the length of the holiday….

  • CNY is traditionally celebrated for up to 15 days in the Lunar month. Thus, some factories are having a holiday for the whole month.
  • Factories also take into consideration their worker’s travelling time back home

CNY Impact on Production Time 

Due to the long holidays, it is expected that production time will be delayed and also that the quotations requested will be processed very slowly. Therefore, we suggest that you might consider ordering early to prevent disappointment. Placing an order early can also minimize problems that might be caused when factories rush to produce your products.

CNY Promotional Products

Perhaps you might also be looking for promo products for the upcoming Lunar Year of Dragon in 2012. It is very common for Chinese to give or receive gifts that are related to the animal of the year.

The most popular gift of all time would be Lai See/ Red Packets. These are something that are given out by the elderly to the younger generation for blessing and good luck during Chinese New Year.

Look at how Carlsberg used this product as an effective promo gift in the last Dragon Year. As red packets are being distributed to many people, it can help to promote your brand and increase awareness.

This CNY year is the year of the Dragon, so keep your eyes open for a barrage of Dragon Promotions hitting stores near you.   Use this imagery throughout the year.

Another suggestion will be orange pouches/bags. As oranges represent luck/”吉利”, it is a  Chinese tradition to exchange oranges when one is visiting their friends or relatives. With the trend of ‘green products‘, many companies are already producing reusable orange pouches as promo gifts. The only way to stand out from the crowd is to design something really special to attract all the attention you need.

 

2024 is the Year of the Dragon! With that said, businesses must watch out for the factory shutdown dates to keep them ready. 

 

Dragom Merchandise is definitely in demand for this year! Here are some ideas to consider.

 

Wondering what to give and not to give during CNY? Here’s the list to keep you guided.