Season of Ang Pao

Dong dong qiang… Chinese New Year is approaching. Everyday when I switch on the radio, I listen to the CNY’s songs; when I drove along the road, I saw a lot of red tang-lungs hanging here and there; when I dropped by in any Supermarket to buy something, I saw tones of mandarin oranges and loads of other CNY’s goods. Yup, I am not staying in jungle therefore I cannot isolate myself from these CNY’s atmospheres. Honestly, it has effectively accelerated my mood to look forward this CNY.

During the Christmas season, I mentioned that the second I anticipate the most is the feeling of unwrapping the gift and find out what is enclosed. Towards the Chinese New Year, should I say the thing I foresee the most is the feeling of opening the angpao and discover how much money contained?… Wahaha! Frankly, it was undoubtedly the moment I awaited for during my childhood time and it was my most vital objective to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Nevertheless, when I started to work, this mood has gradually reduced as I happened to receive less than 10 ang-paos per CNY. So pity of me! If I am not mistaken; I got 6 last year… yeah! Only 6! ! I cannot or to be more precise is I don’t want to visualize how is the condition this year since everybody is tighten up their stomachs due to the decisive economy crisis.

Basically, the way of giving out angpao in West Malaysia and East Malaysia is fairly different. I noticed this dissimilarity when I was studying in KL.

In West Malaysia, as long as you are still single & unmarried, you indeed have a right to get an angpao, and you can accept it without any awkwardness. In East Malaysia like Kuching, some families set their specs such as to give angpao only to the children under 12 years old, some with higher tolerance, their target will be below 21 or if you are still a student. Hence, a people like me, more than 21, worked for few years… the probability of getting angpao is approximately equal to zero.

More to the point, in West Malaysia, you are not only entitled to receive an angpao if you are still unmarried, and additionally you can get angpao from any of the married couples if you visit their houses during CNY. Huhhh…how marvelous & amazing! Sorry for my sakai-ness, it might be an ordinary practice in West Malaysia, but it is tremendously exotic in my place. I was told by my coursemate in few years back, if he is sooo good luck to go for visiting during CNY, e.g. from 1st day till 5th day or more, maintain 10 houses per day, he definitely can gain a handsome angpao’s wealth.

In East Malaysia, if you are more than 12 years old, you barely get any angpao from the people who are not your close relatives or not a very close friend of your parents. In West Malaysia, even you are 21, you still can get angpao from your classmate’s mom, from your friend’s mom, from your friend’s friend’s mom, from your friend’s neighbour, from your neighbour’s relative etc… or anybody you might dunno them but he/she is married and you just unintentionally follow your friend’s friend to visit them. All you need to do is just wish them Gong Xi Fa Cai with your biggest grin.

Good or bad? I believe this culture is only advantageous to unmarried populace; it would be a burden to those married couples. Yet it sounds fascinating to me, perhaps I should consider celebrating CNY in West Malaysia once before I get married.