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CNY Lai See Etiquette - Who, How Much, When and Why?

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  1. #31

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    May 2012
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    Usually HK$20 to people, but for my flat doorman, I usually give a few hundreds. I find that they tend to be much more willing to help if you need their assistance. Whether it's finding a good plumber, waiting for packages, or getting into fights with extremely noisy neighbours.


  2. #32

    I was told by a local that for young singles, this is money meant to be saved to defray the cost of their eventual wedding. Thats the original point supposedly. Makes sense from that perspective. If this is true, don’t know how much this is still followed or not. Where I came from in Hawaii when you go to a wedding reception their is a simular tradition that you are expected to give an envelope with money to cover your share of the cost of the wedding reception. In retrospect, makes me wonder if this tied back to eary immigrants from China to Hawaii working the sugarcane fields. Perhaps the Chinese Lai see became the Hawaiian envelope that is now given to a couple directly at the reception...

    gigglinggal and misshappy26 like this.

  3. #33

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    Money at wedding is absolutely a Chinese custom.


  4. #34

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    May 2017
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    I don't give any red packets to anyone. I'm not Chinese.


  5. #35

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    Jan 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    We've not given new notes for ages... people appreciate the amount, not its age.
    good to know!

  6. #36

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    Jan 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by UK/HKboy:

    Thats why they ask you to write your names on the lai see at weddings.

    speaking as a gweilo who married into a primarily ABC family... at weddings in the states, anyway, it's the wedding gift, and you need to send thank-you notes. so yeah, they're signed. w/in our generation is was fairly standardized anyway. (IIRC it was $100/person but don't quote me on that).

    i don't think that helps figure out local LNY laisee patterns.

  7. #37

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    Jan 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by pin:
    So what's the going rate? I have this discussion with the missus every year and we always forget. As a couple do we have to give two lai see (i.e. one per person) or just one (i.e. one per couple)?

    - Door people? HK$20
    - Unmarried siblings? HK$500
    - Unmarried sibling's boyfriend? Anything????? HK$20????
    - Helper (newly started)? HK$500
    - Secretary? HK$500?

    What I've found:
    -people don't expect a non-HK person to get this completely right.
    -there are some situations which locals find ambiguous. I asked a prof from a different department (I teach at CUHK) what his departent's approach was toward laisee for the department's administrative staff. He shook his head and said "yes, we were just having a discussion about this..."
    (they opted for food-based gifts, rather than $, but after much discussion).

  8. #38

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    Jan 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by sinespe:
    or getting into fights with extremely noisy neighbours.
    Can you choose them as your champion in disputes for a $500 Lai See?

  9. #39

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    Oct 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by SpeakCantonese:
    I don't give any red packets to anyone. I'm not Chinese.
    That is by far the dumbest thing i have ever read.
    i am not catholic or christian, yet i wish my neighbors and friends merry christmas and a happy new year.

    you are in HK - a Chinese city - it is not about adhering to local customs but certainly respecting the staff who work in your building and respecting their customs.
    Besides wtf is $20 to each of your building staff. It will put a smile on their face as well as yours. You wouldn't blink twice when tipping at restaurants that or even the bar man but to your building staff for whom you see everyday.
    Seriously you are a twit - an arrogant, thoughtless and ignorant twit

  10. #40

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    Jun 2015
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    I've been getting 20s from our department secretary

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