Be careful of delivery dates in December! When are American suppliers closed? And what about Chinese New Year?

US Holidays and Delivery Times

When dealing with personalized products from the US, naturally holidays and events in the US will affect delivery times.

In particular, during the Christmas season (mid-December to the beginning of the New Year), the factory is closed for approximately two to three weeks , so there are periods when the factory is not in operation.

Generally, personalized products in the United States have a fast delivery time, with the delivery time being about 10-20 minutes after proofreading is completed. It usually takes 7-15 business days to ship, but during the holiday season it may take up to a month .

First, we have compiled a list of major holidays and closures in the United States .
When ordering during the following periods, please pay close attention to delivery times !

Basic holidays for American companies

○Saturdays and Sundays are off!

Generally, American companies are closed on Saturdays and Sundays . Many shipping companies are also closed on Saturdays and Sundays, and it is common for there to be an additional charge if you request delivery on a Saturday or Sunday.

People who work in the service industry or retail stores may work on a shift basis, but most regular businesses, such as those who work in personalized goods factories or as office workers, have weekends off.

○The Christmas holidays are long!

In the United States, the only national holiday is Christmas Day on December 25th, but in reality many people are closed from mid-December through the beginning of the new year .

For example, production at all of our client factories in the United States has been halted since mid-December , but many of them will stop accepting orders from the beginning of December , so if an order is not confirmed by the end of November , production may not start until the beginning of the new year.
Therefore, when placing an order for delivery to Japan in December or January , it is best to proceed with the order assuming that there will be no operations for the entire month of December .

○The New Year's holiday is short!

In the United States, there are no three special days during the New Year like in Japan, and most businesses are closed until January 1st and resume normal business hours from January 2nd.
There is no custom of visiting shrines in the new year, and after the excitement of the New Year's fireworks, the beginning of the year is not given much importance.

○ Don't underestimate the Thanksgiving season!

In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is held on the fourth Thursday of November . Originally it was a festival to give thanks for the harvest and enjoy a meal together, but nowadays it is common for family and friends to get together and eat a turkey.

Many people return to their hometowns during this period, and in some cases take a week off , so even if companies are open during the fourth week, they may have fewer staff . This can cause delays in communication with American factories, and manufacturing may take longer than usual .

Easter holiday symbolized by rabbits and eggs

In America, there is an "Easter Holiday" that coincides with the Christian "Resurrection." Although it is not a national holiday , it is a time when many people take time off as "spring break."

Many people take three to four days off between mid-April and the end of the month , and some companies have fewer staff members during this time. This can mean that communication with factories is delayed and production takes longer than usual.

○Summer Vacation

In the United States, there is a "summer vacation" during the summer, when elementary and high school students in particular are off school for about two months.
As a result, many people take their summer vacation in July , and some companies may have fewer employees. In particular, retail and service industries are more likely to take summer vacations, so there may be delays in the production of personalized products .

○There are many other American holidays in addition to those mentioned above.

In the United States, there are many holidays other than Christmas and Thanksgiving.

• Third Monday in January: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Third Monday in February: President's Day
• Last Monday in May: Memorial Day
• First Monday of September: Labor Day
• Second Monday in October: Columbus Day
• November 11: Veterans Day

Each state also has its own set of holidays, but the ones listed here are the holidays observed throughout the United States.

Chinese company holidays

China also has many long holidays, especially the Lunar New Year and National Day . The Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) takes place from the end of January to early February , and is a holiday of about one to ten days . National Day is generally a holiday of about one week starting from October 1st .

During this period, production will stop and orders may be delayed, so we recommend that you order with an additional 4 to 5 weeks on top of the normal delivery time .

What did you think?

Although there are fewer public holidays than in Japan, it is common in the United States to take surprisingly long vacations and spend them with family and friends.

Please pay particular attention to delivery dates , especially during the December holiday season, as this is the longest period of the year. If you are planning on delivering to Japan between mid-December and early January , it is safest to finish proofreading by early November at the latest .
We hope this will be helpful when placing orders with factories in China or the United States!

Finally, be sure to plan your trip taking into account Japanese holidays, such as national holidays, the Obon festival in August, and the New Year holidays!