I Fucking Love Learning About Other Cultures And Religions - Blog Posts

Ang Pau (红包) or Red Packet is a monetary gift given during holidays or for special occasions such as a wedding, a graduation, or the birth of a baby. Although the red envelope was popularised by Chinese traditions, other cultures also share similar traditional customs. The red packet is also called 压岁钱 (money that can suppress the demon) when given to children during Chinese New Year. This term, however, is now understood as “money given to children by their elders”.

Before stepping out of the house to visit relatives or friends this Lunar New Year, bring a pair of Mandarin Oranges (柑) with you. A traditional gift during Chinese New Year is the exchanging of a pair of mandarin oranges and the giving of red packet containing an even amount of money. Unmarried adults and children receive these red packets from married family members and friends in exchange of wishing them good health and fortune.

Pineapples are called “ong lai” in Hokkien and Cantonese, which literally translates to 旺来 or “fortune come”, hence their popularity during the CNY celebrations. It is considered lucky to have them during Chinese New Year and giving Pineapple Tarts (黄梨塔) as gifts symbolises good fortune and luck.

Selected images from 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

lantern launch for loi krathong at the temple of wat chai mongkol in thaliand’s chiang mai, and nearby mae jo university. the festival is celebrated every year on the full moon of the twelfth month of the thai lunar calendar, which falls this year on november 6. it is believed these illuminated lanterns, or khom loy, send a person’s bad luck and misfortune away into the air. 

photos by (click pic) sukree sukplang, nanut bovorn, chattakan kosol, felix hug, paul brown, greg goodman, pansiri pikunkaew