Calendars and Holidays

It s important to know as much as possible about the calendars and holidays of any country you re likely to do business with. The first reason is obvious: You don t want to spend a couple of days flying to the opposite side of the globe only to find that shops and offices all shut the moment you get off the plane. The second reason is that if you know what your counterparts celebrate, you will learn what is considered important in their culture, and that knowledge can only help strengthen any future relationship.

The Chinese calendar, for example, is still used for determining festivals, and the Chinese New Year is the main holiday of the year for more than one quarter of the world s population, yet it exists alongside the Gregorian (Western) calendar in the People s Republic of China. Similarly, the Muslim states around the Arabian Gulf use the Western calendar in addition to the Hijrah calendar (which is based on the date of Muhammad s emigration to Medina). In Russia, the Orthodox Church still follows the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian one, which means that Russians celebrate Christmas Day (if they celebrate it at all) on January 7, and oddly enough, the Bolshevik revolution, which started on October 25 in 1917, is currently celebrated on November 7.

There are three main kinds of national holidays: there are the ones based on religion or a set of beliefs, the ones that commemorate a historical event, and the ones that reflect the seasons. (Of course, a few holidays don t fit into any of these categories, including international holidays like Labor Day and International Women s Day, which are observed more or less enthusiastically from country to country.)

Festivals of the major world religions or belief systems ”Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism ”can be included in the religious group . Not all holidays (a word whose origins lie, appropriately enough, in holy days ) are celebrations, but may be occasions for contemplation, prayer, or fasting , and deserve to be treated with the utmost respect by believers and non- believers alike.

The second category celebrates historical events that have played a part in shaping the national identity. These holidays are often expressions of national pride and identity, and visitors should treat these celebrations seriously: not to do so is asking to be labeled as an arrogant and ignorant foreigner. Examples of the third kind of holiday, based on the changing seasons, include the Japanese cherry blossom festival, harvest festivals in Spain and Germany, the Swedish Midsummer holiday, and the Chinese Mid-Autumn or Moon festival, when family members get together to celebrate the changing seasons.

LETTER 97

The Western calendar is not the only way of calculating the date, but it is the most common in international business contexts.

Check your Chinese calendar Letter 97

FROM SPAIN ABOUT CHINA

I was doing business in China a while back, but when we were close to signing an agreement, my Chinese partner suggested that we wait until the Chinese New Year as the Snake was more auspicious for our business. I really wanted to get on with the deal and found the reason for the delay ridiculous. However, I kept my feelings to myself and agreed to wait, and the business went very well. But I ve never really understood the connection between the New Year and the Snake.

You did well to be patient and show respect for the beliefs of your partner. In China, and countries with a large ethnic Chinese population, many millions take Chinese astrology very seriously, and people may consult an astrologer before making important business decisions.

According to legend, twelve animals came to bid Lord Buddha farewell before he left the Earth. They were the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey , rooster, dog, and boar. Very briefly , the Chinese believe that each of these animals rules a particular lunar year (which begins with the Chinese or Lunar New Year in January or February) and influences what happens in that year. They also believe that the individual is strongly influenced by the nature of the animal that ruled his or her year of birth. You may be asked your date of birth by people you meet there so that they can work out which animal sign you were born under, for Chinese astrology continues to have a strong influence, even after 4,500 years .

The Snake governed most of the year 2001, and your business partner had obviously had a horoscope drawn up that said this was an auspicious year for your business. Whether you believe in Chinese astrology or not, it gives a fascinating way of viewing ourselves and our world. You will find firms in China with international contacts that observe the Western calendar, but the ancient festivals of the Chinese calendar are still observed enthusiastically by the local population.

LETTERS 98 “100

Writing the date should be simple, but that is not necessarily the case.

Writing the date Letter 98

FROM THE U.S. ABOUT EUROPE

Is there any foolproof way for Europeans and Americans to avoid misunderstandings when writing the date? As you know, we have different conventions here in the U.S. to the ones you have in Europe.

This can indeed be a problem. Even within Europe there are different systems. In Eastern Europe, including Hungary and Poland, they write the year, month, and then the day (as do the French Canadians). The Swiss and Italians write the dates like U.S. Americans do ”month, day, and then year; this is also the Latin American standard. Inevitably, though, there are exceptions, and Brazilians and Argentineans, as well as most Europeans, the Russians, and Australians, start with the day followed by the month and then the year. The result is, of course, that if your next meeting is set for 8.9.04, half of your group is likely to turn up a month late.

There have been attempts to solve this problem, but like many great ideas, the solution has created new and improved problems. There is an international standard, with the catchy title ISO 8601 , that decrees that the date should be written year, month, and day. The problem is that if you are writing to people not aware of the standard, and you arrange a meet- ing for 050604, you give your readers the interesting opportunity not only to turn up in the wrong month but also the wrong year, as they may well assume that the last figure refers to the year. Dear, oh dear.

The only way to eliminate the chance of mistakes is to write out the month, even if you abbreviate it. It does not matter then if you start with the day or the month, as everyone can see that 2 Jan 2005 and Jan. 2, 2005 refer to the same day. That way you can be sure that you and your colleagues all turn up for your meeting at the same time on the same day.

Holidays, nationality , and religion Letter 99

FROM CHINA ABOUT AUSTRALIA

Last year before I paid a short visit to Australia I checked carefully that my visit wouldn t coincide with any public holidays there. However, when I arrived I found that I couldn t meet some of my potential customers because it was Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday. I found this very confusing.

It s important to remember that in many countries there are signifi-cant religious minorities: Muslims in the U.S., for example, or in the case you describe, Jews in Australia. It s risky to make assumptions about someone s religion based on the country he or she comes from. If you are doing business with people from a religious minority you will have to observe their religious holidays, even if in the rest of the country it s business as usual.

Working over weekends Letter 100

FROM THE U.S. ABOUT BELGIUM

I work for a large U.S.-owned multinational with a growing presence in Belgium. To get us all pulling in the same direction work-wise and to help colleagues get to know each other better, I ve organized a kick off meeting at a conference center for a whole division. It will start on Friday afternoon and end on Sunday morning. In other words, participants will be required to spend two nights at the hotel. The weekend will be a mixture of work sessions and lighter social activities. I d expected one or two people to be unable to attend , but have been surprised to find the majority of employees , including managers, unwilling to come.

In Belgium and many Southern European countries, the extended family is still an important institution and the weekend is a time for spending time with them or with friends . This does not imply any lack of commitment to the company, just a belief that there is more to life than work. You d have more luck with your proposal in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, where the demands of the extended family are rather weaker, though even here your suggestion would probably be less than popular. In Europe generally there is more of an emphasis on the work-life balance than in the U.S. and especially in a country like Belgium, where traditionally work and home life are kept separate, this appropriation of a weekend is regarded as an imposition . And as for the managers, stepping outside their traditional roles and socializing with subordinates on an equal basis may be an uncomfortable experience. I d think again about the best way of achieving your objectives.

IN A NUTSHELL: Calendars and Holidays

MAJOR RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

Religious holidays play a part in most countries calendars. The list below shows the major holidays of different religions. Remember, though, that most countries will have religious minorities whose holidays should also be respected. Among countries sharing the same religion (e.g., Christianity and Buddhism) there may be different variants (e.g., Protestantism and Catholicism, and northern , eastern, and southern forms of Buddhism). They may also have entirely different festivals. An asterisk (*) denotes that the dates for the holiday change from year to year.

Buddhist (Bu): Different holidays depending on whether it is Southern Buddhism (in Southeast Asia): New Year festival*;

Vesakha, usually in May*; Kathina, October or November* Eastern Buddhism (in China, Korea, and Japan): Birth of

Buddha*; Birth of Kuan Yin, usually in March*; Obon, usually in August*

Northern Buddhism (in western China and northern India): Modlam Chenmo*, Guru Rinpoche s birthday*, Lhabab Duchen*

Christian (Ch): Christmas Day, December 25; Easter*; Whitsun*; Ascension Day*

Orthodox Christianity (ChO): Eastern Orthodox Christmas, January 7; Easter*

Hindu (Hi): Holi*, Diwali* Jain (Ja): Diwali night*, Nirvana celebration *, New Year*

Jewish (Je): Rosh Hashanah*, Yom Kippur*, Hanukkah*, Pesach (Passover)*

Muslim (Mu): Ramadan*, Eid al-Fitr*

Sikh (Si): Baisakhi, April 13th; Diwali*

Shinto (Sh): Bean throwing festival in February, Star festival in July, Bon festival in August*

Taoist (Ta): Lao Tzu s birthday*, Chinese New Year*, Zhong Yuan (Ghost Day)*

The following holidays are secular and observed to a greater or lesser degree around the world: the first two are observed by many millions of people, the latter two less widely.

New Year s Day, January 1

Lunar New Year (date varies from year to year)

International Women s Day, March 8

International Labor Day, May 1

GLOBAL BUSINESS STANDARDS

The Western calendar is usually used for business purposes.

In some areas of commerce and industry, especially in Europe, week numbers may be used to express the date (e.g., delivery is expected in week 12 ). Week numbers are also found in the programs of an increasing number of handheld PCs and electronic organizers.

 

The following lists some of the most important non-religious dates in each country s calendar, but be sure to check for others when you plan your journey. The abbreviations indicate the major religion of each country (the abbreviations are listed in the preceding Major Religious Holidays box).

• Argentina: (Ch) Anniversary of the 1810 Revolution, May 25; Flag Day, June 20; Independence Day, July 9; Day of the Races, October12. (See Letter 98.)

• Australia: (Ch) Australia Day, January 26; Anzac Day, April 25; Queen s Birthday, June 9. (See Letters 98 and 99.)

• Austria: (Ch) National Day, October 26.

• Belgium: (Ch) National Holiday, July 21. (See Letter 100.)

• Brazil: (Ch) Carnival, 41 days before Easter; Tiradentes Day, April 21; Independence Day, September 7; Patron Saint Day, October 12; Proclamation of the Republic, November 15. (See Letter 98.)

• Canada: (Ch) Canada Day, July 1; Thanksgiving Day, second Monday of October. (See Letter 98.)

• China: (Bu, Ta, but officially atheist) National Day, October 1 and 2. (See Letter 97.)

• Denmark: (Ch) Constitution Day, June 5. (See Letter 100.)

• Finland: (Ch) Midsummer s Eve, June 21; Midsummer s Day, June 22; National Day, December 6.

• France: (Ch) Victory Day, May 8; Bastille Day, July 14; Armistice Day, November 11. (See Letter 100.)

• Germany: (Ch) Fasching/Carneval days before Ash Wednesday; Day of German Unity, October 3.

• Hong Kong: (Ch)(Bu) (Ta) National Day, October 1 and 2. (See Letter 97.)

• India: (Hi, Mo, Si, Ch, Ja) Republic Day, January 26; Independence Day, August 15; Mahatma Gandhi s birthday, October 2.

• Indonesia: (Mo) Independence Day, August 17.

• Italy: (Ch) Women s Pride Day, March 8; Republic Day, June 2. Note that patron saints days can shut down whole cities. (See Letters 98 and 100.)

• Japan: (Bu, Sh) Adult s Day, January 15; Golden Week, April 29 to May 5; Respect the Aged Day, September 15; Emperor s Birthday, December 23.

• Mexico: (Ch) Constitution Day, February 5; Battle of Puebla Day, May 5; Declaration of Independence Day, September 15; Independence Day, September 16; Day of the Races, October 12; Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, November 20. (See Letter 98.)

• Netherlands: (Ch) Queen s Day, April 30; Liberation Day, May 5.

• Norway: (Ch) National Day, May 17. (See Letter 100.)

• Poland: (Ch) Constitution Day, May 3; Independence Day, November 11. (See Letter 98.)

• Russia: (ChO, Mo, Je) Victory Day, May 9; Declaration of Independence, June 12; November Revolution, November 7. (See Letter98.)

• Saudi Arabia: (Mo) The Western calendar is used for business, and the Hijrah calendar for religious holidays.

• South Africa: (Ch) Human Rights Day, March 21; Freedom Day, April 27; Youth Day, June 16; National Women s Day, August 9; Heritage Day, September 24; Day of Reconciliation, December 16.

• South Korea: (Bu) Independence Movement Day, March 1; Arbor Day, April 5; Children s Day, May 5; Memorial Day, June 6; Constitution Day, July 17; Liberation Day, August 15; National Foundation Day, October 3.

• Spain: (Ch) Carnival, February or early March; Hispanic Day, October 12. Note that patron saints days can shut down whole cities. (See Letter 100.)

• Sweden: (Ch) Midsummer Eve, approximately June 21; Lucia, December 13. (See Letter 100.)

• Switzerland: (Ch) National Day, August 1. (See Letter 98.)

• Taiwan: (Bu, Ta, Ch) See China. Also National Day, October 10; President Chiang Kai-Shek s Birthday, October 31. (See Letter 97.)

• Thailand: (Bu) Chakri Memorial Day, April 6; Coronation Day, May 5; Queen s birthday, August 12; King s Birthday, December 5.

• Turkey: (Mo) National Sovereignty and Children s Day, April 23; Ataturk Commemoration and Youth & Sports Day, May 19; Victory Day, August 30; Republic Day, October 29. (See Letter 100.)

• UK: (Ch) Early and Late May Bank holidays, first and last Mondays in May; late Summer Bank Holiday, last Monday in August; Boxing Day, December 26.

• US: (Ch, Je, Mo) Martin Luther King Junior Day, third Monday in January; Washington s Birthday/Presidents Day, third Monday in February; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in September; Columbus Day, second Monday in October; Veterans Day, November 11; Thanksgiving, fourth Thursday in November. (See Letter 98.)

Venezuela: (Ch) Carnival (two days), March 3; Mov. Precursor de la Independencia, April 19; Battle of Carabobo, June 24; Birth of the Libertador (Bolivar Day), July 24. (See Letter 98.)