There was a bright spark on the radio the other week, fired up no doubt by the stuff floating about on educational achievement here and in China, who came out with the line ' if the Chinese are so good at Maths why don't they know when their own new year is, then ?

The point being, I suppose, that the date of the Chinese New Year does tend to totter about somewhat uncertainly between late January and mid-February. The informed Chinese response can only be, in the best poker playing tradition, 'I'll see your Chinese New Year and raise you Easter' what with the western festival being even more wayward in calendar terms -much to the frustration of choc-aholics across the land,

The reason for the confusion is that in each case the date is determined, essentially, by the phases of the moon -and if you want any more detail than that, well, you know where Wikipedia is.

This is of rather more than passing religious or historical interest as I know to my cost. Particularly if the Chinese new year falls relatively early -as it did this year- doing business or even just maintaining sensible communication between parties in the two countries has to be done against a background when for about six weeks, either one side or other is partying because they are about to on holiday, actually on holiday, or grumpily getting geared up back at work after a long-ish break.

To my further cost though, it's not just the two new years that create problems. I was in China last week because Chinese associates asked me come over to look at some matters of common interest. Trying to fit things in before Easter and eager to take advantage of a cheap fare offer I plumped for a convenient slot only to find out when I was committed that it's another major Chinese public holiday.

This one is Qing Ming Jie which we might just be aware of as the time when one's 'ancestors' graves are tended to. Actually its much less sombre than that might lead you to think, as reflecting perhaps the vital notions of ying and yang or balance in Chinese thought, the festival also celebrates the beginning of spring.

Government and commerce close down but the shops don't and the city is pretty full of visitors. The queues for Mao Tse Ting's mausoleum seemed especially dense when I was nearby the other day which maybe underlines the extent to which he is still regarded as a shared ancestor to many Chinese and therefore as one whose tomb deserves a particular and general reverence.

On the more general theme of tomb sweeping, however, one of the English language channels on TV here took the opportunity of the festival time to run a feature on the financial aspects of death. It seems that the property boom that has impacted on so many other aspects of life here is also, as it were, bearing down on death, with traditional cemetery space running out in the major cities and the general cost of dying (just like the cost of living) spiralling. You can't take it with you as they always say but it seems to be getting that you can't afford to go either.

To return to Chinese New Year and to give all of this fascinating cultural and related stuff a more commercial edge, there's a general cast of mind that it is appropriate to enter each new year clear of debts and other obligations. This does make it a good time to remind customers and clients here of any outstanding accounts as their New Year approaches.

There are though a number of other significant public holidays in China and its worth being aware of these including May Day and Dragon Boat holidays at beginning and end of May, mid- Autumn Festival at beginning of September and particularly the national day holiday period which takes out the first week in October.

Given that it has been Export Week back home and slightly becalmed as I am by the holiday here did fall idly to wondering how this rich international diversity of days off actually plays itself out on doing business. 

Take account of the extra fist full that our friends in the rest of Europe have that we gripe about; events such as Thanksgiving, Labour Weekend and Martin Luther Day in the States; Ramadan and the Eids in the Islamic world, Divali and a wealth of others in India, I did just wonder if there might not be scope for an enterprising app that would helpfully highlight those very few days in the year when we are all actually at our desks, pencils sharpened and available to trade with each other.

Just a thought.