{"id":23871,"date":"2026-01-26T22:10:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T13:10:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/?p=23871"},"modified":"2026-01-26T22:15:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T13:15:55","slug":"the-year-of-the-horse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/the-year-of-the-horse\/","title":{"rendered":"The Year of The Horse"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Do we have \u201ccrying horses\u201d in the Year of the Horse?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Lunar New Year in 2026 falls on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, and it marks the start of the Year of the (Fire) Horse.<\/b><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Lunar New Year is often explained to outsiders as \u201ca big holiday in Asia.\u201d That\u2019s true, but it misses what many people actually feel<\/em> around this time of year.<\/p>\n

For a lot of families in East Asia, Lunar New Year is a yearly reset: you close the old chapter, you return to your roots (literally and emotionally), you eat the foods that \u201cbelong\u201d to this season, and you step into the next year with a mix of hope and realism. It\u2019s celebration, yes\u2014but also reflection, pressure, nostalgia, and sometimes awkward family conversations that you don\u2019t have the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

So when a small plush horse in China suddenly became famous because it looked sad<\/em>, it wasn\u2019t just a funny internet moment. It was a surprisingly honest symbol of what many people carry into a \u201cnew beginning.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"crying\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

The horse that wasn\u2019t smiling<\/b><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In Yiwu, one of China\u2019s best-known wholesale trading hubs, a red Lunar New Year horse plush was produced for the seasonal market. A small stitching mistake turned the intended smile into a frown: the mouth was sewn on upside down. Instead of cheerful, the horse looked disappointed\u2014almost exhausted.<\/p>\n

According to reporting, the toy went viral and sold extremely well. It was sold at Yiwu International Trade City by a shop owner named Zhang Huoqing, who runs a shop called \u201cHappy Sister.\u201d She initially offered refunds, but demand surged when people began asking specifically for the \u201ccrying horse.\u201d Some buyers linked the toy\u2019s expression to workplace pressure and the feeling of having to \u201ckeep smiling\u201d while simply trying to keep up.<\/p>\n

That last part is what makes the story relevant for Korea too\u2014not because Korea is \u201cthe same,\u201d but because the Year of the Horse will be discussed across the region as a year of momentum, ambition, and movement. And in fast-moving economies, the line between momentum and pressure can be thin.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Lunar New Year: what it really means to people<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

It\u2019s a return\u2014socially, not just geographically<\/b><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In China and Korea, Lunar New Year is strongly tied to the idea of return. People go back to family, back to elders, back to the \u201chome table.\u201d Even when someone has built a completely modern life elsewhere, this season pulls them back into older structures: respect, hierarchy, family expectations, family pride, family worries.<\/p>\n

That matters for business because relationships are not \u201csoft culture\u201d in East Asia. They are part of the operating system. Lunar New Year is the time when that operating system becomes visible.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

It\u2019s a moment when timing becomes emotional<\/b><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Many people try to clear things before New Year: finish tasks, settle payments, reduce conflict, clean the house, and remove bad \u201cleftovers\u201d from the past year. Symbolically, it\u2019s cleansing. Practically, it\u2019s psychology: when people believe they\u2019re starting clean, they behave differently.<\/p>\n

As an entrepreneur, you don\u2019t have to \u201cbelieve in luck\u201d to understand that a shared reset can change buying behaviour, decision-making, and the willingness to take a new direction.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Do people really believe in the power of the symbols?<\/b><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

This is where Western readers often oversimplify.<\/p>\n

Some people believe strongly\u2014seriously. Others see it as tradition. Many do a bit of both: they may not claim deep belief, but they still participate because it is a shared social language. And in a society, shared social language has power even if individuals interpret it differently.<\/p>\n

So yes\u2014sometimes it\u2019s faith. Sometimes it\u2019s family etiquette. Sometimes it\u2019s \u201cI don\u2019t believe it, but I don\u2019t want to disrespect my parents.\u201d And sometimes it\u2019s simply a culturally accepted way to talk about the future: \u201cThis year should be better\u2014let\u2019s plan it right.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

China vs Korea: the same New Year, a different atmosphere<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

China: Spring Festival as a long public season<\/b><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In China, Lunar New Year is widely framed as the Spring Festival, a very large public season that combines family reunion, a strong gift economy, heavy travel, and public decoration. It\u2019s not only private life\u2014it\u2019s visible everywhere. Lantern festivals are part of that public atmosphere, and media attention around the season is huge.<\/p>\n

From a business perspective, it is also a national-scale logistics and consumer cycle: lead times, shipping delays, factory pauses, and a very clear before\/after rhythm.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Korea: Seollal as concentrated family ritual and respect<\/b><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In Korea, Seollal has a different feel. It is often more inward, family-centred, and ritual-based: family gathering, traditional greetings, and symbolic foods (notably tteokguk). You see less \u201cpublic spectacle\u201d than in parts of China, but the family pull can be intense\u2014and availability drops quickly around the core days.<\/p>\n

For entrepreneurs, the practical takeaway is simple:<\/p>\n