2007 is a special year on the lunar calendar, especially for many Chinese and Koreans. This lunar year, which started on February 18 according to the Gregorian calendar, is the Year of the Golden Pig. The Year of the Pig happens every 12 years and the Year of the Golden Pig happens every 60 years. This Year of the Golden Pig is a particularly auspicious year, said to happen only once every 600 years. Children born in the Year of the Pig will live in wealth, ease and comfort, among other things, according to Chinese folklore. The Year of the Golden Pig is thought to be especially lucky.
The Year of the Golden Pig is a hugely popular topic in Asia. Many people predict that a baby boom will happen this year, because parents want their children to be golden pig babies, or “piglets,” as the China Daily has taken to calling them. According to many doctor’s offices in China and South Korea, this alleged baby boom is quickly becoming a reality. The Shanghai Daily reported that in one Shanghai maternity hospital, there are so many newly pregnant patients that the women are forced to draw numbers and wait their turn for health exams. The Korea Times added that one nanny sourcing firm in China is booked through July, despite the fact that it has raised its prices by 45 percent.
Companies have been taking advantage of the traditions and beliefs surrounding each of the lunar years by aggressively tailoring their advertising to each new year. This year, advertisers are going all out. Hyundai is having a Golden Pig promotion: they are giving a few lucky customers actual gold pig figurines that weigh 13.25 ounces each. Dong-A, a South Korean pharmaceutical company, is offering a statue of a golden pig to the first couple who conceives using their fertility drug. The pervasive advertising, however, is being cut back in some places.
According to the Wall Street Journal, China Central Television has decided to ban all visual and verbal pork-related references out of respect for Muslims, who consider pigs to be unclean animals. China’s Muslim population is 20 million, which is less than 2 percent of the country’s total population.
There may be an additional reason for the baby boom, aside from people just trying to have a “piglet.” China had a baby boom in the 1980s; people born during that baby boom are now in their 20s and in the prime of their child-bearing years. Officials in Shanghai predict the baby boom will peak in 2015. Millions of couples married last year during the Year of the Dog. The Year of the Dog is considered a lucky year for getting married.
With such a huge population already, even a small baby boom could have a huge impact in China, which is currently trying to stem its population growth with a policy limiting each family to one child. In some places, however, a baby boom would be welcomed. South Korea—where the government has incentives in place to encourage people to have children—is hoping for a baby boom, because the overall population of 49 million people is beginning to age.
Industries that offer services to expecting mothers or newborns are preparing for increased activity. Some are even raising their prices and still remaining booked, such as the previously mentioned nannying firm, because their services are so in demand. Many companies could see increased profits because of the Year of the Golden Pig. South Korea’s biggest baby clothing manufacturer, Agabang Co., has seen a 50 percent increase in its share prices since July 2006. Kimberly-Clark expects the disposable diaper market to grow 60 percent this year. There are a variety of similar investment possibilities for those looking to take advantage of the coming “piglets.”
