Cloisonné Horse Head Commemorating The Year Of The Horse. Photo: Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

Boulder is a place for celebration of the “Year Of The Horse.” The Chinese Zodiac is coming to the close of the Year Of The Snake and looking to the beginning on February 17, 2026, of the Year Of The Horse

The Year of the Horse always arrives with a certain kind of energy. You can almost feel it in the air. Movement. Momentum. A sense that things are ready to break loose and run forward. In Chinese tradition, this is not just poetic language. It is exactly how the Horse is meant to be understood.

To appreciate that, it helps to step back and look at the Chinese Zodiac itself.

The Chinese Zodiac is built around a twelve-year cycle, with each year named for an animal that carries its own personality, symbolism, and rhythm. Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each one represents a different style of living and moving through the world. Together they form a kind of ancient personality map, used for centuries to understand character, compatibility, timing, and even luck.

Where some Zodiac animals are quiet planners or careful builders, the Horse is all about motion and spirit.

The Horse stands for freedom, independence, and unstoppable drive. Horse years are believed to favor people who take initiative, who trust their instincts, and who are not afraid to leave the safe trail and strike out across open ground. It is the year for bold ideas, fresh starts, and rediscovering your own inner horsepower.

In short, this is not a year to sit still.

And then there is one of the most beloved traditions tied to Lunar New Year celebrations, something that brings smiles to children and adults alike. The giving of red envelopes.

These small red envelopes, known as hongbao, carry money inside, but what they really deliver is blessing and intention. Red is the color of good fortune, protection, and joy in Chinese culture. The money is symbolic of prosperity for the coming year, and the envelope itself often carries golden characters or short aphorisms on the outside.

You will see phrases that mean things like
Wishing you great happiness
May wealth come your way
Good fortune in the new year
Peace and prosperity always

We at AboutBoulder believe that Kindness Is Our Strongest Power! We celebrate this aphorism by passing out the hongbao, the Chinese good luck red envelopes, wherever we go.

Hongbao, The Chinese New Year Red Envelope For The Year Of The Horse. Photo: Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

Most recently we have been passing out US $1 coins featuring Sacajawea as well as $1 US coins from the Presidents’ series. The Sacajawea $1 coins replaced the Susan B. Anthony $1 coins. Sacajawea’s story  is an amazing tale of discovery. Sacajawea was the Native American guide who led Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition of discovery. The tale of the Sacajawea coin is a blog unto itself, and will be a blog subject in the near future.  It is a great story with strong Boulder ties.  None of these coins are seen in circulation, making it even more fun to pass them out. 

The hongbao are not just decorations. They are wishes you can hold in your hand.

Traditionally, elders give red envelopes to children, married adults give them to the unmarried, and employers may give them to workers. But beyond the rules, the heart of the custom is simple. It is a moment of connection. A small ritual that says, I wish you luck. I wish you success. I wish you joy in the year ahead. When an elder gives a hongbao to a younger person, it is considered proper for the younger person to give a blessing to the elder in return. My personal tale of  the most exciting sharing of good fortune took place in Aspen with the Aspen Mayor.  It was a truly magical moment. 

In the Year of the Horse, those blessings and good wishes feel especially powerful.

The Horse is not about slow, cautious progress. It is about wind in your face, sunlight on your back, and the courage to move forward even when the path is not perfectly mapped. Combine that spirit with the blessings tucked inside hongbao red envelopes, and you get a New Year message that feels both ancient and wonderfully modern.

Run toward what excites you.
Carry good fortune with you.
And do not be afraid to move fast when your heart says go.

Shared Knowledge Is Power! Shared Blessings Are Powerful!!!

Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

Lenny Frieling Pen Of Justice

• Multi-published and widely syndicated blogger and author.
• Most recently published by Amazon, his first book, "Lensworth"a book of his prize-winning photos.
• University lectures at University of Colorado, Boulder, Denver University Law School, Univ. of New Mexico, Las Vegas NM, and many other schools at all levels. Numerous lectures for the NORML Legal Committee
• Former Judge
• Media work, including starring in episodes of Fox’s Power of Attorney, well in excess of many hundreds media interviews, appearances, articles, and podcasts, including co-hosting Time For Hemp for two years.
• Life Member, NORML Legal Committee, Distinguished Counsel Circle.
• Photographer of the Year, AboutBoulder 2023
• First Chair and Originator of the Colorado Bar Association’s Cannabis Law Committee, a National first.
• Previous Chair, Boulder Criminal Defense Bar (8 years)
• Twice chair Executive Counsel, Colorado Bar Association Criminal Law Section
• Life Member, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
• Board Member Emeritus, Colorado NORML, and prior chair during legalization, as well as pre and post legalization
• Chair, Colorado NORML, 7 years including during the successful effort to legalize recreational pot in Colorado
• Senior Counsel Emeritus to the Boulder Law firm Dolan + Zimmerman LLP : (720)-610-0951
• Board member, Author, and Editor for Criminal Law Articles for the Colorado Lawyer, primary publication of the Colorado Bar Assoc. 7 Years, in addition to having 2 Colorado Lawyer cover photos, and numerous articles for the Colorado Lawyer monthly publication.
• http://www.Lfrieling.com