How much to put in Chinese New Year Hong Bao?
For nephews/nieces/cousins/friendskids.
How Much to Put in a CNY Hong Bao?
L[Deactivated] on 05/02/2015 - 11:15
Poll Options
- 14Less
- 0$5
- 14$10
- 0$15
- 7$20
- 5$50
- 0$100
- 5More
Comments
It depends on how much they give you. For example the relatives from my dad's side give something like $20, in return my parents would give them something similar. Most of the relatives from my mum's side gave us something around RM400-RM100 ( They are in Malaysia). I remembered seeing my mum panicking because she hadn't give Hong Bao for a while and the last time she gave, RM50 was the "minimum". She ended up giving RM4,600 in total for Hong Baos ( we have 35+ something cousins + first cousins once removed).
That day, I vowed to never visit those relatives again until I am married with at least a kid or two. ( Basically, you stop receiving Hong Baos once you are married, you become the one who gives, but your kids can receive Hong Bao)
Hong Baos — one of the reasons that I don't visit my relatives overseas during CNY
Either that or have more kids than them. :)
That would cost me even more :)
If you need to give out red pockets it's most likely that you are already married (or with a permanent partner) and you are supposed to give out two for each kid.
General Rules are -
- You give out a comparable amount that you or your kids have got from them in the past.
- If you don't have a reference for the past then $100 ($50+$50) for real closed friends/families then $60 ($20+$20) then $20 ($10+$10) and so on
- Don't give out odd numbers coz they are considered awkward/unlucky in Traditional Chinese culture (eg. $70 ($35+$35) etc)
- Try to avoid number 4 (pronounce similar to Death in both Mando and Canto).
- $80 ($40 + $40) is a special case. Some like it coz it has '8' others don't coz it's double 4s.
I once got 20c in a red pocket.
:(
you kill their dog or something ?
lol are you sure that's not 'return of 帛金' which is something a families' pay back to the guests after a funeral?
Maybe she was a kid then. I remember getting amounts like $1.10, which in Chinese arithmetic is still an even number (1+1 = 2).
Yeah I was a kid back then (but in saying that, around that age, I still used to get big notes as well! like $20 iirc.. which is why this silver coin was a bit of a surprise to me lol).
From memory, this 20c coin came about at a dinner party held by some family friends. LOTS of children were present, and all the kids were given red pockets, so there were lots of pockets handed out. Understandably it would've cost the family a lot of money if they'd given $20+ to each child at the party lol and my parents and I weren't particularly close to the people who held the party either. In hindsight it made perfect sense that the kids were simply given a small (very small) token gesture in the red pockets.
20c used to still get us a nice treat from the tuck shop back in those days… :)
I've gotten candy in them from situations like that where my family weren't particularly close to those handing out red pockets :) Chocolate coins were nicer than actual coins to me as a kid, because when distant relatives gave me actual money in the red pockets I'd feel pressure from them to refuse it out of politeness? (if that makes sense)..
i usally get 300yuan-500 yuan from my parents (50-100aud) and i get like 50-100yuan from my other friends
When we wish our kids " Gong chi Fa chai (sp?)", they always reply with "Hong Bao Na La" , which according to them means "red envelop , please". Is that the correct translation? They speak mandarin; we don't.
Also Gong Chi fa cai (sp?) feels slightly weird to wish them. They are 5 years old and unlikely to become prosperous anytime soon. what would be a more appropriate new year greetings for kids?
Edit: btw they usually wish our pets something which sounds like "jing ling hu oppo". No idea what it means but it sounds cute when they say it. Couldn't find a translation for it online. My spelling must be really off.
They are supposed to wish you " Gong Xi Fa Chai", usually followed by " Hong Bao Na Lai"
they usually wish our pets something which sounds like "jing ling hu oppo"
Your pets? Did you mean your parents, i.e. their grandparents? (We usually just ate the pets, hahaha.) Something like xin nian kuai le (happy new year)?
We usually just ate the pets, hahaha
lol…ours are really cute and way too hairy.
They call my dad and his partner, who is chinese , "Ye Ye" and "nai nai" They've learned mando while talking to her on viber.
So xin nian kuai le ? Is that pronounced the way its written? :b
cheers
ours are really cute and way too hairy.
They call my dad and his partner, who is chinese , "Ye Ye" and "nai nai" They've learned mando while talking to her on viber.
Whoa, your pets have learned Mandarin while talking on Viber?!
I don't know which part I'm blown away by more :O
lol ;)
My kids call my dad and his partner, who is chinese , "Ye Ye" and "nai nai" They've learned mando while talking to her on viber :)
Put HK$20 note in. save more that way :-p
lol the OzB spirit is strong in this one
This ????? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Bao
Just kidding, it will be named as "red pocket" by all means~
It depends on how close are the one you are giving to.
If it's to your sibling's kid, then may be $50 max.
If it's to your friend's kid, $20 is reasonable but not less than $10.