In Chinese culture, monkeys are considered very clever and smart. The red fire monkey is considered to be strong, dominant, and passionate.

This Saturday marks the beginning of the celebration of Chinese New Year. Beijing has declared that from Feb 7-13 is a national holiday.  This is a time when Chinese citizens book travel. In 2015, the count was 3.7 billion trips.

In California, we have a significant Chinese population. Both San Francisco and Los Angeles have Chinatowns. In great school districts such as San Marino, California, affluent Chinese have bought homes and placed their kids with nannies, so that they can benefit from the excellent school system. We heard similar stories from clients in Boston also, as many Chinese parents want their children to be prepared for attending Harvard and MIT.

Luxury retailers have come up with special themed items for Chinese New Year. Your can check them out on this blog written in Chinese with photos of the special collections. Las Vegas puts on the biggest show outside of China during Chinese New Year. Every casino has elaborate decorations, special menus, entertainment and live performances.

The NBA players will be wearing uniforms featuring their team’s name in Chinese characters. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills has Chinese banners, and red themes decorating their storefronts.

We have always encouraged our clients to become knowledgeable when it comes to the culture and place of origin of their luxury real estate clients.  This knowledge can facilitate understanding and mutually beneficial relationships.

Here are some important etiquette tips: 

Don’t use white or give gifts that are white (white is a symbol of death)

Don’t use the number “4” (unlucky number) 

Don’t use red writing in correspondence or ads

Do use: 

Lucky colors: gold, blue and red

Lucky numbers are 1,7,8.

Lucky flowers are chrysanthemums and alliums

Happy Chinese New Year!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.