How often do we celebrate two special occasions or holidays on the same date? This year February 14 marks the start of the year of the Tiger. As we all know, Valentine’s Day always falls on the 14th. So it’s now making a huge dilemma for people, especially couples, who have a family commitment to be present for the Chinese New Year traditional dinner but have a date with their special someone. Most couples who are tying the knot on Valentine’s Day also add to hustle and bustle of this double event.
Chinese New Year coinciding with Valentine’s Day has really no major implications, whether auspicious or not, to the overall customs of the Chinese. The only other major impact of these two events is the huge income florists, restaurants and catering services and other related businesses would gain from this rare occurrence.
For business owners, this can mean trouble or opportunity because days prior to and during Chinese New Year are traditionally the most hectic for restaurants, hotels, catering outfits as well as travel agencies. Many Chinese families will probably have reunion dinners together at a restaurant or order rather expensive dinner packages to be catered to their respective homes.
Some families would even opt to take holiday trips as Chinese New Year is also the longest public holiday in countries with chinese majority. Many families would definitely take advantage of this as it presents an opportunity for the whole family to be together. Valentine is also the time when couples have romantic dinner dates at restaurants and hotels. With the two occasions coming together, restaurants will have a hard time entertaining a huge influx of customers. So it’s either they choose one to cater to or add manpower and extra seating to accommodate more guests. Either way, business would really boom.
But what about the couples wanting to celebrate Valentine but are also tied up with the traditional Chinese festivities? So how can they cope with all these happenings when choosing one event to go to is not even an option? You can’t probably skip customary dinner during Chinese New Year and you can’t just postpone or cancel Valentine dinner celebration with your girlfriend or boyfriend? And you can’t be at two places at the same time.
Worry not, you can still spend Valentine with your special someone as there are many restaurants and hotels offering romantic dinners and getaways days earlier in anticipation of the two corresponding events.
And since the Chinese New Year is a fifteen day celebration that begins with the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, you can go all out and offer help with the most of the preparation so no one would mind if you’re a few minutes or an hour late to the traditional New Year’s dinner. So you and your special someone still get to celebrate Valentine on the day itself. All’s well that ends well. Everyone is happy and festive. What a way to start the Year of the Tiger.
