年初二 :: 彩鳳來儀迎大治、金龍起舞慶新春

The banks sent me red packets for the Year of the Dragon and new notes, in consecutive serial numbers. That saves me a trip to the bank. I keep some, but mostly I exchanged them out with friends who need/want to use new notes for their angpows. I don't particularly bother about new notes. If I do get cash (from change) through the year, I squirrel away fit-for-gifting notes and use them whenever needed. I'm certain that nobody will complain about it. If they have a problem with my notes, do return them to me. I would appreciate it. 

I'm not quite Aunty Scrooge, but I highly disapprove of handing out red packets to strange children. Even if you point out that this cute child is the daughter of my grandmother's second cousin's cousin's daughter's kid, I'm not handing out even $2 to you. I don't care! I'm not a 'it's the holidays, it's for luck! It's for the children' kind of person. 

I did get angpows from the extended family as a child. I kinda visited these relatives for the first few years after I got married, and handed out tonics, tarts and angpows to thank them for all the kindness. After that, I drew a line and stopped visiting since it was pointless once the children grew up and the elders passed on. 

I'm quite pleased that by this year, the angpows that I'm handing out to 'relatives' and friends' children are controlled and limited. It's not about the money. It's the thought that goes with the angpow. Yes, exactly that. They wouldn't be people I see just once a year, and know their lives 'intimately' through their social media updates. 

I'm also most certainly not going to hand out angpows to unmarried cousins who are fine independent adults drawing a five-figure monthly income. Not when I don't see them for the rest of the year, and there isn't a bond built. Hello, 'blood relations' mean nothing to me okaaay. Traditions be damned. 

Most of us in a stable job actually feel slightly embarrassed for accepting angpows from our peers or even older folks. The times when we don't feel bad is when the angpow is given to us out of love, and we do see the giver regularly through the year, so that we could reciprocate in kind, or get them something they might want on another occasion. 

Red packets are also handed out by way of appreciation to the estate's security team, cleaners, my hair and nail technicians, the usual friendly staff at my go-to restaurants, Choya's walkers, my pilates and gyrotonic instructors, et cetera. It's like, I know them, and would know even specifics about them, but I don't know their preferences for food or way of life. Under these set of circumstances, I choose to gift red packets than to get them pineapple tarts or cookies that they might not fancy.

I didn't even visit that many homes — only four over Day 1 and 2 (初一、初二). But in the run-up to Lunar New Year and from the past two days, Choya has already gotten herself a fine haul of angpows, even from unmarried folks. 'For luck', they said. Fine. Thank goodness the amounts given aren't extravagant. They're genuinely super fond of her. These silly faeriefolk. I rolled my eyes. 

People, you know that your angpow are just going to contribute towards Choya's raw meats and overall food right? Heh.