HONG KONG: The Year of the Tiger is upon us. The tigers have come to town and they are everywhere at Chinese New Year fairs, in an endless array of representations and products. These have a good chance of becoming the hot products of the festive season.

A 3-year-old boy stands gazing, at a fortune-cat tumbler, actually a fortune-tiger tumbler. He doesn't want to move. The tiger tumbler was the idea of the stall owner surnamed Wong - changing the traditional fortune cat into the animal of the year. Wong thinks the tiger looks honest and on top of that it has an intriguing face. "Kids like it, so parents will buy. It sells well," Wong said happily.

The inflated tiger helmet also proved an attention getter. "That is really cute," said one prospective customer while trying it on for size. "I saw some people on the street wearing it. It's very popular this year," said another.

A pair of red socks is another best selling product. The bottom bears an idiom with the character for the tiger, a wish for good health. The word "tiger" is replaced by a lovely tiger head logo. "This is my idea. I hope all members of the family can wear these socks in the New Year; that would be very sweet," said the stall holder surnamed Choi.

Curious youngsters, middle-aged housewives, and even elders are buying the socks. An elderly man walking with the aid of a came pondered the wares and bought two pairs of socks for his daughter and grandson. "The red socks are selling very well, even during the days when rain brought down the business," Choi said. "This is the third day, and I have already sold nearly 2,000 pairs."

Besides creative products on the tiger theme, the idea of merging the elements of both the lunar New Year Day and Valentine's Day, falling on the same day, also stands out in this year's markets.

Open a box of chocolate, and you will not see candy balls, but small tigers. The tiger dolls are also coming out in pairs: a girl and a boy, to draw young lovers who may have family commitments for the New Year Day, and possibly miss the chance to spend a romantic Valentine's Day together.

(HK Edition 02/12/2010 page1)