9 Feb 2005

First Day of New Year!!! Happy Chinese New Year!!! Thank you all for the sms!!
Chinese New Year is the first day of the first month of the Lunar calendar. The happiest thing about being unmarried is that you get “Lai See”----- Red envelopes with money in it from older, married people. And the difference of spending Chinese New Year in Hong Kong is that the “Lai See” money is doubled! Couples in Hong Kong give out 2 “Lai See”, 1 from the husband and 1 from the wife. Not like in Malaysia, where they only give one.
“Lai See” started out as a coin wrapped in a red coloured paper given to children as a blessing called “Ngat Sui Chin”. Then, later on, it developed into “Lei See” given out by employers to employees, the name “Lei See”, which signifies good business. Finally, it became “Lai See”, given out by married couples to bring luck. “Lai See” are only opened on the last day of Chinese New Year (the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar) .