Do westerners often go shopping to make special purchases for the New Year?

Do westerners often go shopping to make special purchases for the New Year?
Feb 12, 2007 19:20
MELODYCHOW Points: Join Date: Mar 5, 2006 Status: offline	In China, one of the traditional customs is that people always go shopping before the New Year to make some special purchases, like various food (meat, vegetables, snacks, etc.), new clothes...everthing needed during the Spring Festival as many as possible, usually much more than you expected. And in the supermarkets or large departement stores, it's very crowded, of course, the prices are much higher than usual. Do westerners often go shopping like Chinese before the New Year to have special purchases that are fully-prepared for the New Year ? :)

Feb 12, 2007 19:20

MELODYCHOW
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Join Date: Mar 5, 2006
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In China, one of the traditional customs is that people always go shopping before the New Year to make some special purchases, like various food (meat, vegetables, snacks, etc.), new clothes...everthing needed during the Spring Festival as many as possible, usually much more than you expected. And in the supermarkets or large departement stores, it's very crowded, of course, the prices are much higher than usual. Do westerners often go shopping like Chinese before the New Year to have special purchases that are fully-prepared for the New Year ? :)

Feb 12, 2007 23:07	#1
JABAROOTOO Points: Join Date: Jul 4, 2005 Status: Offline	Well Melody, This 'mad' or 'silly season' as we have come to lable it precedes Christmas for most of us in the west. Since it is traditional to give gifts at Chirstmas and eat special food but it has become for many a callenging and frustrating period that many wish could be simpler, like is was years ago.

Feb 13, 2007 02:11

ROGERINCA
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Join Date: Jun 28, 2005
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No, I think this is more unique to the Chinese culture. Most, in the west, do not purchase heavily for the ‘new year,’ be it the Chinese New Year, or the Western Calendar New Year.

The big gift giving season is Christmas. However, with respect to clothing for children, parents in the US, normally will buy the new clothes for the children at the beginning of the new school year, at the end of the Summer vacation period.

Many department stores and other chains in my country, have annual back-to-school sales and promotions during this period, near our Labor Day Holiday.

Feb 14, 2007 15:12

JRONGIRL
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Join Date: Feb 8, 2007
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Hey Melody,

We don't buy before the New Years (by that time we are probably all broke anyway) but we buy a lot before Christmas. We even have this HUGE sales day right after Thanksgiving were all the stores (or at least some of them) put up great sales prices and people go crazy trying to buy stuff. It's pretty crazy after that till the end of the year, but I think in China might be different (although I'm pretty sure the crazy stuff is the same) ^_-

Feb 14, 2007 19:11	#4
JIMMYB Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	I read the news that many Europeans fly to US to buy stuffs before Xmas. Is that true?

Feb 14, 2007 19:21	#5
CALIFORNIA Points: Join Date: Jul 22, 2005 Status: Offline	Ah?????

Feb 14, 2007 22:13	#6
HEIDI Points: Join Date: May 9, 2006 Status: Offline	Is that true, Jimmy? Where do you learn this?

Feb 18, 2007 23:30

ROGERINCA
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Join Date: Jun 28, 2005
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Hi Jimmy,

I have not heard this, nor can I find any recent articles or news items to establish this fact ???

It might have something to due with the value of the Euro vs. the Dollar, but I can not find any specific data.

Maybe it is some high-end Europeans, who are purchasing some high-end products in the US; but beyond that I have not heard of this fact.

Or, maybe they are going to a Walmart store in the US to buy inexpensive stuff, made in China, and sold in America !!?? LOL :)

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