Explainer | Chinese New Year red packets: everything you need to know about giving and receiving lai see, from who and when to how much
- The Chinese New Year tradition of giving red packets containing money dates back some 2,000 years and was originally meant to ward off evil spirits
- We offer a guide to giving lai see: who gives red packets and to whom, how much money to give different people, and when to give out lai see
Giving and receiving lai see – also known as red packets, hong bao in Mandarin and ang pow in Singapore and Malaysia – is a Chinese New Year tradition that has been around for millennia.
Said to date as far back as China’s Han dynasty (206BC to AD220), the giving of money-filled ornate red packets is intended to ward off evil spirits.
Every Lunar New Year, people exchange good wishes as they give lai see to young children and unmarried adults.
Do you really have to give lai see to your siblings? Why do people sometimes give out two red packets? Does any old banknote fit the bill?
We answer all these questions and more so that you can enjoy a stress-free lai see-giving season.
1 When to give lai see
While lai see can be handed out during all auspicious occasions – such as birthdays, weddings and graduations – at Lunar New Year, they should be exchanged between the first and 15th day of the lunisolar Chinese calendar. This year, that means from February 10 to February 24.