Lunar New Year 2027 corporate gifts in Hong Kong: the ordering guide

Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February, the start of the Year of the Goat. In Hong Kong, the general holidays run from 6 to 9 February: the fourth day is a holiday this year because the second day falls on a Sunday. Offices slow down in the days before the holiday, so the gifts that arrive on time are the ones ordered well before Christmas.

This guide covers the timeline, the etiquette, what to ask a supplier, and how we handle New Year orders at Saebom.

The timeline, working back from 6 February

• Now to mid-November: the list and the budget. Decide who receives a gift (clients, partners, your own team) and the budget per person. Ask for samples while there is still time to change your mind.
• By 20 November: your branding. If you want your company's colours on the box, confirm the artwork now. A custom box usually needs about six weeks after approval.
• By 1 December: the order. Confirm the quantity and the delivery address. For our New Year gifts, orders confirmed by 1 December are delivered by mid-January.
• Mid-January: the gifts arrive. You hand them out or send them in the weeks before the holiday, while people are still in the office.

What to avoid, and what works

A few gifts carry the wrong meaning at New Year:

• Clocks and watches. In Cantonese, "giving a clock" (送鐘) sounds like "seeing someone off at a funeral" (送終).
• Sets of four. Four sounds like "death". Avoid it in quantities and in prices.
• Knives and scissors. Sharp objects suggest cutting ties.
• White or black wrapping on its own. Both are linked to mourning. Red and gold read as luck and prosperity.

What works: something useful that gets used up, presented in red or gold, handed over with both hands, with a short card that names the giver.

Why a gift that gets used up beats one more hamper

At New Year, most people receive several hampers of tea, cookies and wine. A practical gift that ends up in the bathroom, and is used every morning, is remembered for longer than a fourth box of biscuits, and nobody re-gifts it.

For a company order, a few practical points matter more than the gift itself:

• Nothing liquid. Nothing leaks in transit, and a solid clears customs as a solid.
• One size fits everyone. No sizes, no colours, no allergies to food to check.
• A long shelf life. Gifts can be stored until the day you hand them out.
• Your name on it. A printed card or a branded box turns a product into your gift.

How to brief a supplier in one email

Send these six lines and you will get a firm answer instead of a back-and-forth:

1. The quantity, and the split if there is one (clients, team).
2. The delivery city and the date you are working towards.
3. The branding you want: a printed card, or a box in your colours.
4. Your budget per person.
5. The company name for the invoice.
6. A contact for the delivery.

And ask four questions back: is the price delivered and duty paid? Can we see a sample first? Is the delivery date written on the quote? What are the payment terms?

New Year gifts from Saebom

Saebom makes a solid scalp-care shampoo bar, 120 g, with 17 botanicals. For New Year orders in Hong Kong:

• From 50 bars, each in its own box, with a red card printed with your company's name.
• 12 to 15 USD a gift (about HK$95 to 115), delivered in Hong Kong, duties paid.
• From 500 bars, the box carries your colours; allow six weeks from artwork approval.
• Order by 1 December, delivered by mid-January, before the New Year.
• A firm quote within one business day, half to confirm, half before shipping.
• One free bar per company, shipped in Hong Kong, so you can try the gift before you give it.

A Singapore manufacturer chose 90 bars for its 20th anniversary gifts, with a card printed in its name.

Get your free bar · Questions: wholesale@trysaebom.com

Questions we get

When is Lunar New Year 2027?

Saturday 6 February 2027. In Hong Kong, the general holidays are 6, 8 and 9 February.

When should a company order New Year gifts in Hong Kong?

By early December for standard gifts, and by mid-November if you want your own branding on the box.

What should we not give?

Clocks and watches, anything in fours, knives or scissors, and plain white or black wrapping.

Can we add our company name or logo?

Yes. From 50 bars, a red card printed with your name goes in each box. From 500, the box itself carries your colours.

Holiday dates: Hong Kong Government, General holidays for 2027 (gov.hk).