Distributing red envelopes with money gifts is an important custom to distribute good luck. According to Wiki:
"Traditionally, Red envelopes or red packets (Cantonese: lai see) (利市 ); (Mandarin: 'hóngbāo' (红包); are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. It is also common for adults or young couples to give red packets to children."
"Red packets are also known as 壓歲錢/压岁钱 (yàsuìqián, which was evolved from 壓祟錢/压祟钱, literally, the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit)
"Red packets almost always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. Per custom, the amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals (帛金: báijīn). "
"Odd and even numbers are determined by the first digit, rather than the last. Thirty and fifty, for example, are odd numbers, and are thus appropriate as funeral cash gifts. However, it is common and quite acceptable to have cash gifts in a red packet using a single bank note – with ten or fifty yuan bills used frequently. It is customary for the bills to be brand new printed money. Everything regarding the New Year has to be new in order to have good luck and fortune."
My red envelopes: outgoing (left) and incoming (right).
The distribution of red packets started on New Years Day when we noticed residents giving them to Parkview staff. Rika had done some research and prepared our packets but it didn't go well initially. At lunch we gave some to the staff at the Teahouse restaurant where we often eat. One waiter nipped behind a pot-plant to open it, and them complained obviously to his colleagues.
Red packet distribution was then largely suspended until we could do more research. I eventually settled on HKD 100 which Im told is a bit high, unless someone had been very helpful - but intended to offset the fact that we hadn't been able to get brand new notes.
I gave out packets to 10 staff at Parkview, 25 unmarried colleagues at work, and 3 staff at the work canteen. I received 4 : from my company, my 2 bosses, and one of my colleagues (for Hannah). Which is about right since Im married and relatively old.
"The act of requesting for red packets is normally called (Mandarin): 讨紅包 tǎo-hóngbāo, 要利是. (Cantonese): 逗利是. A married person would not turn down such a request as it would mean that he or she would be "out of luck" in the new year. Red packets are generally given by established married couples to the younger non-married children of the family. It is custom and polite for children to wish elders a happy new year and a year of happiness, health and good fortune before accepting the red envelope. Red envelopes are then kept under the pillow and slept on for seven days after Chinese New Year before opening because it symbolizes good luck and fortune when you sleep on the red envelopes for seven nights."
We didn't wait. This is Hannah opening the red packets;
