'For Chinese New Year, it's a tradition that those married will give out "Laisee," (Red pocket) to people, usually children, juniors, etc. It means good luck.'
One of the things I was interested in asking KB, was about he and his family's traditions with Chinese New Year. Although I knew it was one of the most important Chinese holidays, it is also steeped in ritual and traditions. These rituals are important to get right, as mistakes can bring misfortune to others for the upcoming year.
In addition to visiting relatives, the wet flower and night markets, I was most interested in KB's comments about the red pockets. (Lai See Etiquette). The giving and receiving of red packets 🧧 is a minefield of potential social errors...
There are rituals about who you give them to, how much money goes into each, and what words you say when handing them to the recipient. There are an equal number of 'rules' about how to receive your packet, including always accepting them with both hands and never to open them in front of the person who gave it to you. Thankfully, with KB we don't have to worry about offending him. He's always been more than generous sharing what's inside the beautiful red packaging.
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