The roaring Year of the Tiger begins on 2022 Feb 1 and ends on 2023 Jan 21. Abundant food, vibrant family reunions, and little red packets called ang bao will grace Singapore once again.
Singaporeans usually give these red packets during social gatherings such as Chinese New Year or weddings. Its color embodies “good luck”, which is supposed to ward off evil spirits.
If you are new to giving these red packets, how much money should you give? Let us start by knowing what a red packet or ang bao is.
What is an ang bao?
Married couples usually give these red packets to single people. It dates back from the Chinese belief that you achieve the adulthood once you get married. So, the newfound status comes with the privilege to distribute ang baos to those who remain single or are younger.
Since Singapore consists of diverse cultures, we as a nation have created practices surrounding ang bao gifting. It is not uncommon to have marriages between two different races, leading to traditional practices being modified.
Why do people give ang baos?
Ang bao gifting is a sign of goodwill and symbolizes good fortune. You do not need to break the bank for this gesture to be meaningful. It is a kind gesture, so give whatever you can afford.
Moreover, do not open your ang bao in front of everyone as it is considered impolite to start counting money in plain sight.
To this day, there is no strict rate to be followed. The amount you give usually depends on how close you are to the recipient. We have heard people receiving ang baos ranging from S$6 to S$1000. As a general guideline, you should give the most to your parents, grandparents, and in-laws. Doing this is a sign of respect and gratitude.
Your siblings and own children can receive about S$50 to S$200 as a symbol of your love. Cousins, nephews, and nieces can receive S$10 to S$50 as a symbol of well wishes. You can also pack a couple of S$2 or S$6 ang baos in case you meet your acquaintances, distant relatives, and their little ones.
Image Credits: unsplash.com
Are there numbers to avoid?
Giving S$4 is debatable because the number “4” in Chinese sounds like “death”. As tempting as it sounds to give a modest amount of S$4, it may be better to avoid this in case others take offence.
Furthermore, elderly folks may advise against giving odd number amounts as it is considered inauspicious. Steer away from amounts like S$7 or S$11.
Can you give digital ang baos?
Giving digital ang baos is convenient and fast! Who does not love saving time and effort? You can give digital ang baos through the help of banks or retailers.
While it sounds good theoretically, not all Singaporeans are open to it. Traditionalists may frown upon this rising trend. However, money is money! Just remember to give within your means.
Roar into the Year of the Tiger and celebrate this Chinese New Year with Shopee as they bring you discounts on all your festive essentials and goodies. Get into the festive mood by shopping for new clothes, stocking up on food and snacks, and preparing your spring cleaning supplies. Shopee will be the best app to get you all prepped up — you can literally buy huatever you want on Shopee and there is no better time to do so. In the lead-up to CNY, Shopee will be kicking off the 25 Super Shiok Sale on 25 January packed with “epic deals” on everything you can think of — from bak kwa and pineapple tarts to super high-tech vacuum cleaners for spring cleaning. You name it, they have it!
On 25 January, you can enjoy $58 cashback available all day for everyone and stack $8 off vouchers on over 1,888 brands to unlock roaring low prices.
At the same time, you can take part in the Ang Pow Drawworth $15,888 and stand a chance to be one of the 18 lucky winners to win a $888 cash giveaway! To participate, click the Ang Pow icon with the Shopee logo and spend a minimum of $1 per qualifying order on 25 January. You will receive 1 chance for every $1 spent on 25 January!
To start off the sales, Shopee has lined up a slew of Super Shiok Flash Sales that will happen across 13 time slots:
12am to 1am: Midnight Chiong Hour
1am to 2am: Late Night Shiok Deals
8am to 10am: $0.25 & More Super Shiok Deals
10am to 11am: CNY Gifting & Goodies Special
12pm to 1pm: Super Shiok Lunchtime Deals
1pm to 2pm: $0.10 Flash Deals Relay
2pm to 3pm: $0.01 Foodie Voucher Deals
4pm to 5pm: Spring Cleaning Essentials
5pm to 6pm: Reunion Dinner Must-Haves
6pm to 7pm: $0.10 Flash Deals Relay
8pm to 9pm: CNY Booze Hour
10pm to 11pm: Super Shiok Big Brand Discounts
11pm to 12am: Last Chance Deals
Don’t miss the chance to score as many $0.01, $0.10 and $0.25 deals!
There’s still more to come with the Shopee Mall 24 Hour Brands Flash Sale! We’re talking discounts of up to 90% on over 188 authentic brands including Samsung, Walch and more. Celebrate CNY with roaring awesome deals from brands such as Snow Treasures and Chow Tai Fook, as well as festive snacks from local favourites Bee Cheng Hiang and Gin Thye!
Feeling stressed that you haven’t gotten your CNY shopping done? Don’t worry because Shopee has got you covered! Enjoy Best Price Guarantee on all your CNY goodies plus free shipping at Shopee Supermarket. Dress your best with outfits from stylish brands such as Giordano, Stylehouse, MaRicRic, MoneyMax and more. Sweep out the bad luck and usher in a fresh start with the help of housekeeping products such as a cleaning robot and cordless vacuums from Dyson, Airbot and more. Get yourself huge discounts off these items when you shop during the Shopee CNY Sale 2022.
Don’t know where to start? We’ve put together this handy guide so you can make the most of your time to scour for the best deals on Shopee. Make sure you read till the end so you don’t miss out on any deals.
A must-have for CNY, abalone or 鲍鱼 (Bàoyú), is a treasure from the sea known to bring one good fortune and abundance for the rest of the year. Look out for the sale on Shopee as it is the perfect chance to stock up on some New Moon abalones for your CNY steamboat or yu sheng.
Pamper your guests with super addictive pineapple tarts from Shangri-La hotel with this Shopee-exclusive deal. Fastest fingers first as there’s limited quantities available only, and each box comes with 10 pieces wrapped individually! Buy now on Shopee for $22.80. (U.P. $42.00)
Known for their premium cookies and biscuits, Mdm Ling Bakery is partnering with Shopee to bring you the Magical Moments Cookies Collection this CNY. In each box ($27.80), you can find 4 packs of flavoured cookies – Classic Hazelnut, Crunchy Munchy Almond, Melty Goody Peanut and Popular Green Pea. Hurry before they run out!
Get ahead in your spring cleaning schedule and attract positive energy for CNY with the Minihelpers’s 2-in-1 Portable Cordless Vacuum. With a strong 25,000 Pa suction power, it cleans your house with ease. Transform it into a lightweight handheld vacuum for your car. For $79.90, it is a steal on Shopee. They are even throwing in a free anti-dustmite attachment worth $49.90 for every purchase. Super worth it.
Don’t like to queue hours for your favourite tender bak kwa? Skip the queue and order Fragrance’s signature bak kwa at $24.90 per pack (500g) during the sale – a pretty good deal we must say!
Touted as one of the most advanced wet/dry vacuum and hard floor cleaners, the Tineco Floor One S5 simultaneously vacuums and mops so you don’t spend hours cleaning up every corner of your house. Powered by their proprietary iLoop™ Smart Sensor Technology, it automatically adjusts the suction, roller speed and water flow according to the mess. Bring one home now for only $899 on Shopee!
Congratulations for making it all the way to the end! Now, reward yourself with a $10 off voucher by simply entering the code <WELCOME115OFF10PR> when you cart out from the app (valid for new users only, limited quantities available).
Enjoy shiok savings of 50% or more at FairPrice From 20 to 23 January 2022.
Get two cans of New Moon Premium Australia Abalone In Brine 10s – 12s for $46 (U.P. 2 for $91.60) and other deals at FairPrice. Other attractive deals include 1-FOR-1 Coco Thumb Thailand Organic Coconut and Kinohitmitsu Bird’s Nest Gift Set at $25.45 per set.
What’s more, every $30 spent in-store or online will get you 1 chance to win a fully electric MG ZS EV car.
What are you waiting for? Check out the nearest FairPrice today.
Sourcing for great deals this Chinese New Year? Get up to 70%off prices at Far Ocean’s warehouse sale, starting from 14 January all through 31 January 2022!
For the first weekend only (14 to 16 January 2022), at a never before price – their canned abalones are going for only $8.80 per can!
More deals on the first weekend and cheapest in Singapore!
This is a one-stop destination for your festive steamboat and BBQ supplies, with more than 3,000 items on sale. From 17 Jan onwards, dig into a whole freezer of Big Frozen Thawed Half Shell Abalone (35g to 45g) — going for only $1 each (UP $2.50)!
Far Ocean Singapore is a one-stop food solution company for premium-quality seafood and meat produce, supplying to many top restaurants and 5-star hotels in Singapore. Here, you can get all your steamboat and festive must-haves as well as restaurant-quality produce at the most competitive prices in town. Whip up a homecooked Chinese New Year feast without breaking the bank thanks to great-value items such as black cod steak, seabass steak, Japan Hokkaido scallops, abalone, kurobuta pork and many more at unbelievable prices.
In collaboration with NTUC FairPrice’s Warehouse Club, Far Ocean will be offering the following Top 10 items exclusively available on-site, all going at unbeatable prices. They are as follows:
That’s not all! Get to meet local celebrities such as Ah Ge Li Nanxing, Vivian Lai, Julie Tan, Rayson Tan, Constance Song, Guo Weile and Luo Kemin as you do your Chinese New Year shopping. Also, conveniently sign up to be a Warehouse Club X Far Ocean member at the membership booth located at the entrance. Registration is free.
Due to the Covid-19 situation, the capacity limit for the warehouse sale will be capped at 340 pax at any one time and there will be clear markings indicated on the floor to ensure 1m safe distancing between customers. All customers are required to check-in with SafeEntry and undergo temperature taking before entering the premises.
