The highlight of Chinese New Year, for children at least, is receiving hong baoh (red envelopes) which contain money. They receive these from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Adult children also give their parents hong baoh as a sign of respect and a wish for their continued good luck. Frequently, husbands give their wives hong baoh, although wives are not expected to give their husbands in return.

While the amounts in the red envelopes vary, the amount of money received is always an even number. Even numbers are considered lucky, as are the envelopes themselves. In principle, the amount of money received is not as important as the envelope itself, but this is the same as saying "It's the thought that counts", which every child who receives a tiny gift knows is a load of hogwash!

I went to the gas station the other day to put fuel in my scooter and when I paid I received a red envelope with my change. I was interested to see what I had received in my hong baoh: a discount voucher for my next fill-up perhaps, or a token coin (or note would have been better, of course), or a free car wash, or a voucher for a dream holiday for two to a North Korean nuclear facility. No such luck! Inside my lucky red envelope from the garage were three more red envelopes, which I could use to give other people hong baoh. I wondered where the luck in that was.

Most children may wonder the same thing. They seldom get to use their money, as their parents take it and put it in a savings account for them for some later pursuit, like university or some other similarly lofty, and expensive, goal of which the children themselves have the vaguest of understandings. The joy of receiving is speedily transferred to the anguish of obeying.

I did receive hong baoh from work. I was not disappointed in my hope that it would be a little more substantial than that given by the gas station. Inside was NT$2000, which is equivalent to US$66.6666666666666666666666666666667.

30 January 2003

Dion Marc Delport

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