Lunar New Year decorations featuring snakes are proving to be a less popular choice this year, with vendors in Richmond, B.C., reporting a decline in sales. Some customers find snakes intimidating, making it challenging to create appealing snake-themed merchandise. Despite the downturn, vendors remain optimistic, emphasizing the importance of celebrating the Lunar New Year and bringing joy to their customers.
Lunar New Year designs often feature cute depictions of the year's Chinese zodiac animal. But making a snake cute is a challenge, artists say, resulting in an array of biologically inaccurate renderings. Sellers of Lunar New Year decorations in Richmond, B.C. , say business is down because it's the Year of the Snake, a creature some customers find 'scary,' making soft toys, and cartoon character designs a tough sell.
Cecilia Liang's Lunar New Year's decoration stall has been an annual fixture in the Yaohan Centre in Richmond, B.C., for 25 years — but she knew some products would be a tough sell this year. With the Year of the Snake dawning on Wednesday, Liang and other decoration vendors say sales have slithered downward. There are snakes with long eyelashes, dewy anime-wide eyes, and even snakes with hands, all the better for waving out a friendly greeting. 'Among all the Chinese zodiac, selling snake-related craftsmanship is one of the most difficult,' said Liang, who added that the most difficult was the Year of the Rat. Her two-week pop-up stall is crammed with festive red and gold offerings — stuffed toy snakes, wall hangings, plastic wind spinners, red pockets, door couplets featuring wishes for the new year, and god of fortune statues. 'Some parents would say, aiya (a Cantonese exclamation of dismay), I will not take snakes home,' said Liang, 'But I will tell them — these snakes aren't even real, and you don't need to be scared.' Carol Kang has had an annual Lunar New Year booth selling decorations in the nearby Aberdeen Centre for more than 10 years, and she's also feeling a bite on sales. 'It's hard for artists to design snake-related products. Many snake-themed decorations don't even look like snakes,' said Kang in Mandarin. She said sales at her booth were down 50 per cent compared to the same time last year — a much-anticipated Year of the Dragon, always one of the zodiac favourites. 'For many people — unlike the Year of the Dragon — the Year of the Snake isn't that big a year for them,' said Kang. Animal decoration sales may be down, but business still looked bustling at the Aberdeen Centre's crowded Lunar New Year market, where vendors were also selling flowers, festive clothes and traditional crafts. Back in Yaohan Centre, Liang said she found most clients were willing to spend, but not as much as in years past. She said the fluctuations in sales aren't just due to the snakes but also the economy in general. 'I am grateful that clients are still willing to spend money at my booth. I don't have high standards. I am happy as long as everyone gets what they want to decorate their homes to celebrate the Lunar New Year,' said Liang. 'The happiness of life is not always about making tons of money. It's about making our clients happy and that we stay healthy in the New Year.
LUNAR NEW YEAR SNAKE SALES DECORATIONS RICHMOND B.C. ZOODIAC TRADITION ECONOMY
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