We Europeans feel like we've only just put it behind us: the transition into a new year with lots of fireworks and even more good resolutions. The traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar originally didn't have much in common with our Gregorian counting system - which is why New Year's Day is never on the same day and every new year that begins is under the influence of a different animal. In this article you will find out what this is all about, especially in 2020, and what it means for you.

After the Chinese calendar was replaced by the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year always falls between January 21st and February 21st of each year. 2020 begins on January 24th, the Year of the Rat , the first zodiac sign of the Chinese horoscope. The prediction sounds something like this: The rat is an agile and fast animal that will manage to poach in other people's enclosures this year and "win" treasures there. However, this quickly makes you overconfident and doesn't please the other zodiac signs at all, but it's even more worthwhile for the Rat. So taking risks could pay off in 2020.

What is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year is considered the most important traditional Chinese holiday. This event is celebrated not only in China, but also in other Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. In contrast to our Gregorian calendar, the traditional lunisolar calendar is based on the moon and sun: celebrations take place on the second and, more rarely, on the third new moon of the winter solstice.

Family visits are mandatory!

This event also sets in motion the largest migration of peoples in the world. More than 385 million Chinese are heading out of the big cities to visit their families in more rural areas. Because, similar to our Christmas, the time spent with loved ones is at the forefront of the celebrations. The house is cleaned, red decorations are hung and traditional dishes are prepared that promise happiness and wealth. Unlike ours, however, Chinese New Year doesn't just last one day; parades, festivals and rituals extend over 15 days. The families gather on January 24th and the celebration lasts until February 7th. Then the celebrations end with the Lantern Festival.

How do the holidays translate to the business world?

For large parts of the population, the world stands still at this time and work comes to a halt. But we consider ourselves lucky to have partners in China who ensure that day-to-day business runs smoothly even during the holidays. As usual, we are able to handle transport requests to and from China with a sought-after and cost-effective logistics solution: the China train .

How our partners can also be reached during the festival

With the “China Train”, OCS Spedition offers an efficient transport option that covers the route on the new Silk Road in just 17 days. We take care of the entire logistics process for our customers, as well as all customs formalities. Thanks to our individual development and processing of requirements, this approach has quickly developed into a popular logistics solution for companies in the high-tech, electronics, automotive and consumer goods sectors.

In order to ensure that our customers run smoothly during the extended festivities, we consciously work with reliable and motivated partners in China. In particular, the digitally savvy younger generation, which is not tied to working hours and location thanks to smartphones and tablets, remains available. While most offices are closed, our partners continue to accept orders via email or WeChat messenger, arrange loading and keep the business running.

What does Chinese New Year mean to you?

We would be happy to help you achieve your New Year's resolutions and goals that you have set for the (Chinese) New Year. Despite the celebrations, our customers can count on the efficient processing of their transport requests as usual. Here you can send us your transport request and here you will find more information about our offer.

We wish you a happy new year and gong xi fa cai!