With over 1.5 billion people across the globe celebrating the Chinese New Year, now is a great time to join in the festivities and make the most of the occasion.

The Chinese New Year begins on the 19th of February and people traditionally would take a week off to prepare for the celebrations which would include fireworks, lanterns and getting together with family and friends. The tradition still holds strong today, however as people have less and less time in their day, more people are eating out during the festival. As such, it's a perfect time to make the most of the potential additional footfall.

The colour red is important throughout the festivities, as it symbolises good fortune and joy. Adding red to your businesses colour pallet is really easy to do, whether you'd prefer to use red napkins, red aprons, or even red cups or chef hats.  Another simple addition would be red low bar lights which are perfect for keeping with the red theme and adding an atmospheric and warming red glow.

Various flower types are seen as lucky throughout the Chinese calendar and 2015, the Year of the Goat, is no different.  This year, carnations and primroses are in favour and what better way to display flowers than the Olympia bud vase or Lumina Fine China oval vase?  You could even use red carnations in the vases, which tie in with the theming spoken about above.

If you're planning on making Chinese style food, we are celebrating the occasion with a special offer for the Buffalo Pro rice cooker and twelve Olympia rice bowls at a reduced price for a limited time only - it's really easy to use and is perfect for making consistent quality rice.  The addition of the Olympia 5" rice bowls helps provide a more authentic Chinese feel to the dish - don't forget the chopsticks!

However you go about celebrating, have a very happy and prosperous New Year!

By David Evans