4 Meaningful Ways to Use Your Ang Pow Money

The festival of giving and collecting ang pows will be over soon. Some of you (us included!) might be grinning with the bountiful harvest of ang pow money, but here’s the tricky question: How do you spend them?

We can’t wait to spend too, but this year, why don’t we make the extra cash more meaningful? So here are 4 ideas we gladly come up for you.

1. Plan for next trip

Already missing the Chinese New Year’s holiday? You can start planning for next one within your ang pow money budget. The earlier you book, the more you are likely to save and leave some as your travelling cash. Or, you can use the money to secure your ticket for the next Chinese New Year.

A short getaway is already a good unwind plan

2. Pay off credit cards

The sooner you start paying off your card, the sooner you can be free of debt in this Year of Monkey. It’s alright if you can’t settle the full amounts, you can still avoid it from snowballing and ease yourself with smaller debt.

Make getting out of card debts one of your new year resolutions

3. Go for self-improvement

It doesn’t have to be a degree course or some sorts, there are many short term programmes that you can do part time to develop new skills, for e.g. photography or make up. Go for self-improvement courses (or even books!) that are relevant to your career or interests and you’ll be happy to see how your ang pow money has benefited you.

It's never too late to learn, so let's get start
with your ang pow money

Source: blog.credit, blogroll.name, lifehack.org, pinterest,
 lbj, wyd2345, aliexpress

4. Invest in gold bars

If you really don’t intend to use the money now, you can save it, in a more tangible way – gold bar. Gold bar is a long time investment that needs no deep investing knowledge, and best of all, mostly appreciates over the time.

And you can find them all at Wah Chan. We have a great collection theme of 999 Pure Gold Bars that you might be interested to pick one for yourself...

2016 PAMP Suisse 999 Fine Monkey Gold Bar

999 Fine Gold Bar

999 Fine Gold Bar

... or your loved ones.

"For Parents" 999 Fine Gold Bar

"For Couple" 999 Fine Gold Bar

"For Kids" 999 Fine Gold Bar

MUST READ: 6 LAST-MINUTE THINGS TO DO ON CHINESE NEW YEAR EVE

Time really flies and before you know, Chinese New Year is just a few days away. Many of us are preparing to balik kampung or even travelling. February 8, 2016, marks the first day of the Year of the Monkey, but before you throw yourself into celebrating, don’t forget this last-minute checklist we've prepared and you’ll usher in a prosperous year.

1. Clean up

Clean every corner of your home for one last time and then stow away your broom, mop, and vacuum. You don't want to sweep away your good fortune by using these tools on the first few day of Chinese New Year, right?

As the elders say, it is very unlucky to
sweep floor during Chinese New Year

2. Home decoration

In case you have not dress it up, don’t forget to grab a must-have pair of spring couplets or pretty blossoms during your last-minute shopping. Though looks simple, couplets and blossoms are significant as they express hopes of fortune and success to come in the New Year.

Plum blossoms are always a pretty
decoration to the corners of your home

3. Ang Pau

Receiving red packets or ang paus are the most exciting part in Chinese New Year, and you will have many chances to give and receive one, so don’t forget to prepare earlier. For each ang pau you give out, you are sharing blessings and happiness to each other.

Remember to stuff your red packets

4. Check on car

If you are driving home this season, make sure your car is ready for the trip ahead. Stay safe and drive safe!

A road trip is not fun if your car can't start

5. Settle debts

You still have time to settle any debts you owed to your friends and family members. They might need money during the festival season and you have just eased their pockets.

It's always good to start the new year without any debts

6. New clothes

Whether it is about traditions or you just want something new for the Spring Festival, you can still grab a piece or two on this day. No problem if you are not keen on the auspicious red, just make the day merrier other than black and white.

Buy a set of new clothes gives you optimism
to start the new year afresh

Source: blog.freepeople, driverweekly, huffingtonpost, pinterest, 
rickypai, thekitchn, todayonline, dishbydish, shopcoupons

Of course, with new clothes, you'll look even more charming when you put up one or two accessories. Without being overdo on your overall look, why don't match it with a few of these charms?

916 Yellow Gold Pineapple Charm

916 Yellow Gold Abundance Bucket Charm

916 Yellow Gold Abundance Fish Charm

916 Yellow Gold Wealthy Ingot Charm

916 Yellow Gold Exquisite Abascus Charm

Swing by our selected Wah Chan showrooms to mix and match your lucky charms today.

这个新年，让如意带来心想事成

迎送了2015之后，我们即将迎接2016年的首个欢庆 – 农历新年。全新的一年，有很多未知的挑战，机会与希望。对于很多上班族来说，今年除了努力还希望能迎来一些好运，好让自己在事业或生活上能平步青云，事事如意。

所以华珍诚意推出了非常独特的新年饰品系列 – [如意]吊坠与耳环。

如，意味着“喜欢；相似的；符合”和意，意思是“愿望；期望；思想；想像力”。如意，能代表“称心如意，随心所欲;按照自己的期望”。

戴[如意]有助于增加运气及达成心愿。如果你想在今年的生意更兴隆，戴[如意]能提升您的商机和别人对您的信任。

上班族的，如果您希望在今年晋升，戴[如意]是一个非常合适的开运首饰，好让您在新的一年里有更好的发展。

对于那些想要在今年换新工或挑战新事业的人，[如意]也许能令您找到更好的机会，比去年赚更多。

以18k 白金制成的[如意]，添加了闪闪发亮的钻石或黄宝石，造型创新，寓意美好，是展现个人气质最好的饰品。其“如意”寓意着做什么事情或想要得到什么东西都能够得心应手，正正道出了人们的心声。同时也把[如意]最真切的寓意表达出来，给大家在健康、事业，生活、婚姻爱情等带来如意。

如果您也想在2016 年称心如意，一枚吉祥[如意吊坠]或一对万事[如意耳环]最适合您。

18k 白金镶黄宝石吊坠

18k 白金镶钻石吊坠

18k 白金镶钻石黄宝石吊坠

18k 白金镶钻石黄宝石耳环

18k 白金镶钻石黄宝石耳环

更多新年首饰选择，请浏览华珍面子书。

7 Things You Can Do For Your Parents This Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is an important time for celebration that is filled with similar customs dated back thousands of years, from honouring ancestors to cleaning house to colourful parades. During this time also the children will pay respect to their parents and elders who have been raising them up today as they are.

Have you ever thought what to do this year to show your love to your parents? Of course you do, and our few suggestions here might match yours.

Going home 

Chinese New Year symbolizes reunion and togetherness. If you have not been celebrating with your parents for the past years, perhaps you should this year. Having children by side during special festivals are always the best wish comes true for parents.

Chinese New Year is meaningful for your
parents when you are with them

House cleaning

In addition, give them a surprise by going home a few days earlier to help them clean the home or da sao chu; dust and refresh the furniture, sweep the floor, scrub the window and even some repainting. Some believe that children who da sao chu will increase the longevity of parents.

It is said da sao chu by children will increase
the longevity of parents

Yearly vacations

Depending on your budget, overseas or local ones are fine, as long as they get to enjoy their life on your expenses. And to make sure they do, pay all accommodation, transportation, food expenses for them, including spending money. 

Vacationing together tightens the bonds between
parents and children

Pay for their living expenses

You might not realize, your parents have been reserving the best for you all these years, all at free cost for you. Perhaps they won’t ask, but offering to cover their expenses like phone and electric bills or even fuel from now on assures that you will be taking care of them. 

Offering to pay for parents is a filial way
to tell them you cared for them

Take care of their health

As your parents grow older, they might need all sorts of supplements to maintain their well being. In Chinese culture, teas and herbs such as gingko, ginseng and cordyceps are part of nutrition diets that you can consider to buy for your parents.

It's time to reward parents who have worked hard
for you all these years

Bring your other half

Nothing makes your parents more relieved than knowing you have found the right person to love and being loved. Thus, if you are sure he or she is the one, bring them home this festival and introduce to your parents. 

Chinese New Year is also the season of getting
to know each other well

Source: ameredian, decomyplace, gobankingrates, hxzcw, mainlandtour, 

malaysia-asia.my, thenewageparents, hz.edushi, mlxing

Invest for them

Gold is always the auspicious colour in Chinese New Year. Traditionally, besides gold jewellery, Chinese buy gold bars too, which are both presentable and long lasting in value. Now, it sounds equally suitable as a gift or investment for your parents, right?

This year, Wah Chan introduces some of our fine gold bar selections that you might like to get one for your beloved parents.

999 Fine Gold Bar

999 Fine Longevity Gold Bar

999 Fine PAMP Monkey Gold Bar

Follow us on Wah Chan Official Facebook and we'll bring you more Chinese New Year surprises.

10 Taboos & Superstitions You Must Avoid This Chinese New Year

It’s hard to believe, but two weeks from now we will be celebrating 2016 Lunar New Year. Well, once again, we are looking at the same checklist of things to do right until the first day of New Year, which are riddled with superstitions and taboos.

And to make sure you didn’t break any, here are the top Chinese New Year taboos you must avoid…

1. NO sweeping and throwing out

Yes, you might know you can’t sweep floor only on the first day of Chinese New Year, for fear of sweeping away the family’s fortune. But sweeping out to the entrance and throwing away garbages during Chinese New Year will equally "sweep out" the wealth of the entire year.

Sweeping is allowed on second day of Chinese New Year
but sweeping out and throwing away rubbish are not allowed

2. NO hair washing on the first day of Chinese New Year

Hair is a homonym to wealth in Chinese; therefore it is seen as not a good thing to “wash one’s fortune away” at the beginning of the New Year.

Some elders would allow for hair washing after 9pm
on the first day of Chinese New Year

3. NO money borrowing or lending

Some believe that borrowing or lending money during Chinese New Year will bring bad luck as you will be likely to borrow or lend for the rest of year. Thus, all debts should be cleared before the first day of the new year.

Clearing all debts is also a good resolution
for a new year ahead

4. NO hair cut

Similarly, getting your hair cut during this time might chop off your fortune luck in the New Year. The word hair in Chinese, fa can be meant “wealth” and “rich” too.

This explains why you need a hair cut
other than fashioning purpose

5. NO number 4

The pronunciation of four, si sounds like “death” in Chinese word and thus regarded as inauspicious. Any sayings or decorations that are related to four are forbidden throughout the festival.

Though tangerines are prosperous fruits, arranging them
in four will bring in opposite meaning

6. NO books and shoes buying

Again a homonym, books sounds like “lose” and shoes sounds as if “sigh” or “hard”, making them inauspicious.

A more reasonable explanation is that we should spend
more time with family and friends instead of shopping

7. NO crying

Chinese traditions hold that, if you cry during Chinese New Year, you will cry throughout the year. Therefore, children are tolerated, even if they are mischievous.

Babies are exempted though, as they rarely
cry for being mischievous

8. NO breaking

Breaking plates or glasses are not auspicious in Chinese New Year as it signifies misfortune. If you unfortunately did, quickly say "Peace all the time" to counter the bad luck. Don't throw the broken pieces until the 5th day of celebration.

Saying "Peace all the time" will ward away bad luck

9. NO afternoon nap

It is believed that taking afternoon nap on the first day of Lunar New Year will bring you a lazy year ahead.

Taking an afternoon nap also shows a disrespect
to visiting family and friends

10. NO black & white

Black and white clothes always remind people of sad occasions such as funerals, thus should be avoided throughout the festival.

Chinese New Year always welcomes
red colour as it symbolizes luck

Source: anomadsdream, 360changshi, chcpmc, durianproperty,
hk.ulifestyle, justthedesign, newhealthadvisor, spectrum-paint,
tw.ptt01, yiguoshenghuo，fengshuibeginner

Hopefully by now you will have a better insight on how taboos and superstitions during Chinese New Year are observed. While many people may not believe in these nowadays, the traditions are still kept as a legacy from the past. And after all, who doesn't like the bit of luck in the new year?

Besides obeying these superstitions, Chinese culture is also full of accessories that symbolize good luck, such as our fine pendants here.

916 Yellow Gold Lucky Pineapple Pendant

916 Yellow Gold Abundance Bucket Pendant

916 Yellow Gold Prosperous Fish Pendant

916 Yellow Gold Abundance Fish Pendant

916 Yellow Gold Wealthy Ingot Pendant

916 Yellow Gold Exquisite Abascus Pendant

Like us on our Wah Chan Official Facebook as we bring you more lucky pendants this Lunar New Year.