The Chinese New Year is here! To many of us, it is a festive season where we visit and reunite with our relatives and get "hong-paos", or "ang-pows", which are red packets. Red packets symbolise luck and prosperity. It is also a symbol of wealth. We will also have to attend dinners with our family members and relatives. It is customary to do this every year.
I feel that the Chinese New Year has become more of a habit than a tradition, or custom. For example, people, especially children(as they are the ones who receive red packets) take the receiving of red packets for granted. Every year, Chinese New Year to the children is more money to buy their favourite toys and sweets. Children care more about the money in the red packets, than the meaning behind it. This is negative, as these children will grow up, thinking that red packets are equivalent to money, and learn nothing about why red packets are given in the first place. Also, just yesterday, I visited my aunt's house. It was a family gathering at my aunt's house and many of my relatives were at my aunt's house. Many red packets were given out. As I walked around the house, I saw my two cousins hiding in the corner below the staircase. As I walked over to join them, I found out to my dismay that they were opening their red packets. Red Packets were meant to be opened at home, and not at a relative's house. I was angry and snapped at them. However, my two mischievous cousins did not repent. They even retorted and one of them said "aiyoh, why 2nd uncle give so little ang-pow money? Only four dollars, so stingy!". I fumed at them and told them that it was not the money that mattered, but the sincerity. This is why parents should educate their children and make sure that they are less concerned with the money in the red packets. But instead understand more about Chinese culture. I wonder if the meaning behind giving red packets will fade away, and people will be more concerned with the monetary value in the red packets?
Any ideas on this matter? Please comment!
Yes , I agree with you . Many people now care more about the ang pow they get , not the customs . This is not good as this shows the lack of respect for the Chinese Culture and also the fact that children are becoming more
ReplyDeletemoney minded. After all , we are Chinese after all . We should bear a responsibility in upholding the Chinese Culture !
Ow Yong, i agree with you that children nowadays do not cherish tradition but instead, they only care about the material gains, this is probably due to the fact that we are now living in a materiallistic society that puts material wealth and gains above everything else, the children are influenced by this notion, and thus are blinded and can only see the material gains in front of them, but are oblivious to the precious tradition and culture that are hidden behind the modest red packet.
ReplyDeletezhi xin
Hi Bryan, proud of you that you are already mature enough to see what's wrong with such behaviour. It is also the job of those older to teach the younger the correct ways.
ReplyDeleteBryan, I agree with you that children do not care about the meaning behind all these things we do during Chinese New Year. Some people do not even celebrate CNY at all. They simply care about the materialistic gains and do not spare a thought for the effort their relatives put into adorning the house, preparing and buying the CNY goodies and preparing the Ang Pows. However, I do no actually think that the uncle should have given $4 to your cousins as 4 sounds like "si" in Chinese which means death and it certainly is inauspicious to mention the number "4" during CNY.
ReplyDeletei think that the tradition of ang-pow giving is now wrongly percepted. Let us think about it. Only if we accept the ang-pow as a well-wish and gratefully accept it will we truly be upholding the values of Chinese New Year. HOWEVER, if we are thinking of angpows as money collectors, That is indeed very sad. One reason is because it just shows how materialistic we as Singaporeans are. Also, technically the "tradeing of money" to put it crudely, does not apply to us. our parents give angpows with money inside to other children and our grandparents. Our grandparents and other parents Then give us angpows. So collectively, we can generally say that our angpow money is technically not "ours". they are given in exchange for the money OUR parents gave out. and even if we are allowed to keep it, i feel that it is wrong for us to declare that it is our money when indirectly it is our parents who gave it to us. What say you, OW Yong:)?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that receiving red packets has become a habit more than being a tradition. But I disagree that children care a lot about the money. These money are usually kept by parents (at least for me), so basically money is not my first priority. You may say that children care a lot about the money, but in our society, children are having more than enough pocket money to spend. So money in the red packets may not be so important to them. Instead, it's more of the fun that I experience during chinese new year, playing board games, etc. In fact, I enjoyed playing what many may label as 'childish' flight game (or 飞机棋), probably because I've not touched it for more than 2 years. And I'm sure that is what most children and teenagers are expecting from chinese new year.
ReplyDeleteI suggest explaining some of the chinese traditions in this post as your main idea is that children should not think of money when receiving red packets, but rather think of its tradition and meaning behind it. Thus, explaining what this meaning is might be more suitable.
And it's rather hard to imagine you fuming and snapping at them though.........
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