A fresh start in a New Year

Gong Hey Fat Choy! “Wishing you a prosperous New Year.”  I know, I know, I am a little early for Chinese New Year (Feb 10).  But I am celebrating the fact that we are free of debt! Yup you read it correctly NO MORE DEBT!!

My husband and I worked very hard, together, over the last 5 years, to pay off ALL of our debts. I’ve been saving this charm since I bought it on the Pandora’s Angels page because I knew that this “unforgettable moment” was coming up at the end of December.  And I thought that this accomplishment warranted a charm – of course!  Financial problems were a huge issue in my mother’s marriage, and hence in my childhood and beyond.  So I am very happy – no proud – to put this charm on my love and marriage bracelet to signify that “we are financially responsible.”  We did it – together!

This charm called the “hong bao” is like the Pandora “money bags” charm with the Chinese character for “blessings and good fortune” or “abundance.”  The term “hong bao”, meaning “red packet”, refers to the Chinese tradition of adults giving children little red paper envelopes filled with money.  According to the China Folklore Society the original meaning of the envelope ritual is a New Year blessing passed from the old to the young, and the “lucky money” inside a hong bao can ward off evil spirits and maintain children in peace and safety for a whole year.  It seems appropriate to have this charm on my RED “Always and Forever” bracelet because the red colour of the hong bao envelopes symbolizes good luck, and the giving of money signifies a fresh start in the New Year.

With our debts paid off we are making a fresh start, celebrating our ability to “maintain our children in peace and safety,” and welcoming good fortune and abundance.

My children go to a multicultural urban school and have learned a song that they sing for Chinese New Year.  So when I say Gong Hey Fat Choy, I am sending New Year’s blessings to all my friends and family, and also sending (as the children’s song explains), “wishes of happiness… longevity… good marriages... and prosperity.”