I Gave Ang Pao To Her Daughters
By hereandthere
@hereandthere (45651)
Philippines
August 21, 2017 3:56am CST
Ang pao are small red envelopes you can buy even from sidewalk vendors. You put money in it to give as gifts.
I've been adopting this Chinese practice when I'm not sure what to give to my nieces, nephews, and godchildren (inaanak) for Christmas and their birthdays.
Per Wikipedia there are similar traditions in other Asian countries like Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Cambodia, brought by the Chinese diaspora and immigrants: Red envelopes in Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan; Green envelopes in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore for the Malay Muslims; and Purple envelopes for the Hindu in Singapore and Malaysia.
I just gave two ang pao or red envelopes when I met my college classmate because two of her children had their birthdays last month and early this month. One of them is my godchild (inaanak).
Are you familiar with ang pao or red envelopes?
Do you give cash gifts, too?
35 people like this
37 responses
@ilocosboy (45157)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
I don't know if this is also ang pao, I mean the money is placed in white envelop and given to godchild and/ nieces and nephews.
6 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
yes most people use the white envelopes. i just wanted to use the ang pao because they're colorful/festive.
5 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
@ilocosboy of course i won't use it for abuloy. i will use the white envelop. hehe.
3 people like this
@ilocosboy (45157)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
@hereandthere I think I have adopt the ang pao method, maybe it will more lucky.
3 people like this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
i had one when i was still single. now, the red envelop for me is always connected with the red tag, courtesy of meteor Garden. hahaha!
6 people like this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
23 Aug 17
@hereandthere and the F$ boys and MG are now often presented on FB. maybe the kapamilya network will make a Pinoy version of this show?
1 person likes this
@m_audrey6788 (58485)
• Germany
21 Aug 17
I am familiar with ang pao but I am the type of person who gives some little things than giving cash..hehehe..because I can feel the spirit of Christmas when you open a gift not thinking how much the cost of the gift 
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
@m_audrey6788 what pasalubong do you bring that's always a hit from here to there or from there to here?
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
some people i give gifts too, some i give cash.
3 people like this
@deazil (4723)
• United States
21 Aug 17
When there were younger kids in my family I made Origami envelopes to put money in. And I folded the money into Origami pieces - a shirt or pants, a heart - before I put it in the envelopes. I like the Ang Pao. I've never seen that before. It's quite interesting.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
they come in bigger sizes, too. for this small one, i had to fold the money twice.
i've seen people fold paper, even money, into a small shirt, or make paper bags.
the only thing i can do was paper planes and boats, but that was eons ago when i was a child!
2 people like this
@deazil (4723)
• United States
21 Aug 17
@hereandthere I did the boats and planes too. hahaha I love working with paper. It's much more resilient than you would think. I like doing money Origami. I leave it for tips in restaurants. I also leave a few unfolded bills, that way the waiters have something to spend. I know they like to collect the Origami tips I leave. I like the Ang Pao envelopes. Where did you get them? They're really pretty.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
@deazil it's nice that the waiters collect the money origami you make. it's a way to make them smile and feel special, too, because it's like leaving them a gift. hopefully, staff who are in a hurry or unfamiliar with it don't mistake it for crumpled trash and toss it. oops!
maybe you can ask at asian stores if they have the red envelopes? i mean they might call it a different name.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
yeah, they're much harder to buy gifts for. babies, toddlers and grade school ages are much easier!
4 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
i always buy 2 packs and use them throughout the year.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
yes, i used to buy them in the book store. they're like birthday cards with drawings and greetings on them but shaped like envelopes.
3 people like this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
21 Aug 17
No as they are much too young yet.
I have heard of those envelopes with money before though.
3 people like this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
Yes I'm familiar with the red envelopes. My son goes to a Chinese school but they never asked money from us unlike other Chinese schools on New Year's day. The lunar new year of course.
I don't usually give cash gifts as I take effort in finding the right gift for the people I care about. I find giving cash gifts a thoughtless act. But it's only me who thinks that way I guess.
3 people like this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
@hereandthere They give empty ang pao to the students for the parents to put money in it. It's a donation of some sort. It's their tradition.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
23 Aug 17
@toniganzon i see. voluntary then.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
really? why would chinese schools ask money from parents for the lunar new year?
3 people like this
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
21 Aug 17
I prefer giving gifts during the holiday season. But I still have ang pao just in case there will some unexpected visitors.
3 people like this
@Edsamacos (557)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
I use ang pao during Christmas. I give Ang Paos to my nieces and nephews if I can't buy any gift for them.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
i'm ashamed to admit i use them all year now because it's easier/convenient.
2 people like this
@renicemae (4883)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
Yes I am. Haven't given any monetary gifts to anyone yet.
Haven't given any monetary gifts to anyone yet.3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
i still buy gifts, but for some, i'd rather give money so they can buy what they like.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
@renicemae oh, i don't think i can do that! hahaha! i will try to find or buy even a short white letter envelope.
2 people like this
@renicemae (4883)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
@hereandthere Oh. Now I remembered. I already gave monetary gifts to someone I know 
But I didn't put it in envelopes. I just gave it to them directly 
But I didn't put it in envelopes. I just gave it to them directly 3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
there have several designs and it takes me a while to find one that i think looks generic/all occasion.
maybe you'll see them in asian stores or if there's a chinese event/gathering.
3 people like this
@Neiltarquin (1062)
• Rass, Saudi Arabia
21 Aug 17
Before, I do this all the time especially during Christmas. But my wife loves to buy stuff especually for kids so now it's always something that the kids could use or play. Ang pao with money is our back up plan.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
kids are easier to buy for, but all of my nieces, nephews and inaanak are teens and 20s now. do they sell ang pao there in saudi?
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
@Neiltarquin have you received one from your boss or coworkers or friends there since you started working there?
3 people like this
@Neiltarquin (1062)
• Rass, Saudi Arabia
21 Aug 17
@hereandthere
Yes actually they do but it looks more of an arabian that chinese. During Ramadan, which they consider their most sacred holiday, is the time they would give gifts in cash or in kind. I haven't an actual ang pao "arabian style", and I forgot what it's called, butthey do sell them here.
3 people like this
@annierose (18926)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
I have a colleague who also used that as a gift to the kids of our fellow colleagues. He gives cash gifts a lot during the Christmas season. I also do it but just very rarely. I prefer to buy gifts for kids because at their very young age, I am uncertain if they know already how to spend properly their money.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
i still buy gifts for people i'm sure of. but some are harder to buy gifts for, so i'd rather give money than none at all.
3 people like this
@annierose (18926)
• Philippines
22 Aug 17
@hereandthere I remember I did that too during our Christmas party. I couldn't find the gift that my monita was asking that time. It was too difficult and I was too busy to search for it in Divisoria.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53960)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Aug 17
In my family, the parents give us/grandkids cash gifts, but not in any fancy red envelopes - just regular white office security envelopes 
. With friends, we often exchange gifts, but never cash for some reason . . . it's either "things" or gift cards. And many of my good friends do not have kids - and neither does my sister - I wish I had children besides my own to spoil !
. With friends, we often exchange gifts, but never cash for some reason . . . it's either "things" or gift cards. And many of my good friends do not have kids - and neither does my sister - I wish I had children besides my own to spoil !1 person likes this
@much2say (53960)
• Los Angeles, California
31 Aug 17
@hereandthere I guess so. Some here would say cash is more personal than a gift card. The kids do have cousins on dad's side, but they are all "grown" (all between age 20/30). Long story, but we don't really give gifts to them.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
1 Sep 17
@much2say oh, i wasn't thinking about gifts. i was just curious if they had cousins and if grew up with them. but then, with that age gap...
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
31 Aug 17
gift cards i guess are gift certificates here so it's cash too right?
do your kids have cousins on their dad's side?
1 person likes this
@sishy7 (27169)
• Australia
23 Aug 17
@hereandthere Red dominates Chinese New Year and mostly green for the Muslims Holidays. The designs are pretty much related to the occasion and the size is usually uniformly the smallest envelope size where I have to fold the bills to fit in it.
One year though I got this bigger size ang-pao (the gold one in the middle of my collage with monkey design). Yeah, it was around Chinese New Year when it was the Year of the Monkey a few years ago. This ang-pao fits the entire bills without folding them.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
23 Aug 17
cool. how would compare them color-wise, design, size?
1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (51511)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
I was planning to gave them last year. But then, there' no longer young and might demand something more expensive
2 people like this
