What is an ang pow
An ang pow (or ang bao), also known as a red envelope or red packet, is a monetary gift traditionally given to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck during special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and the Chinese New Year (CNY). From a senior to a younger person, it symbolises a blessing.
How much should I give in an ang pow
The amount of money placed in an ang pow is a personal decision, and should be determined based on the relationship between the giver and recipient. As a general rule, the figure should not include the number ‘4’ as ‘4’ is associated with death and misfortune in the Chinese tradition. ‘8’, which is associated with wealth, is seen as a lucky number, which is why ang pow amounts are usually in denominations of eight. Receiving an ang pow with an ‘even number’ amount is also said to give one good fortune because of the saying “good things come in pairs”.
Since giving an ang pow holds so much significance, why not:
Donate your ang pow
As we enjoy the festivities, let us also remember those who may need support in their day-to-day activities as the cost of living rises. Donating your ang pow is one way to do so.
To spread goodwill and extend your generosity, first decide how much ang pow money you will be donating. Then, you will need to find an organisation whose cause resonates with you. There are many organisations listed on giving.sg who support seniors with their needs. Donations can enable the organisations to continue providing home medical services or help defray their centre’s operating costs. NTUC Health’s Health for Life Fund is also an option.
Help your seniors go digital with giving ang pow
While it is a tradition to give new bank notes instead of old ones, we should try to give e-ang pows or reuse notes. This will reduce the environmental impact of issuing new notes.
Or do your part to save the earth by helping an elder in your family to go digital this CNY! You could use the following as a guide when you teach your senior loved ones how to give a DBS QR Gift Card or send digital e-gifts with a personal touch.
DBS QR Gift Card (this header should be smaller than the others above)
Get QR Gift Cards from any DBS/POSB branch or pop-up ATMs, and all Sheng Siong outlets from 5 January 2023
To place money in the gift card, follow these steps
- To redeem the money via PayLah!, follow these steps
- To receive the money via PayNow, follow these steps
Send digital e-gifts with a personal touch
You could teach your senior loved one to share a personalised festive greeting and pair it with one of the 12 fun animated GIFs to make it more exciting for them.
Here are the steps:
Make a collection out of your empty ang pows or upcycle them
It was recently reported in the news that a couple amassed about 60,000 ang paos, mostly from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore1. They even spent RM888 just to get limited edition ang pows. Perhaps you could start off by keeping the ang pows you got this year and putting them in an album. Over the years, as your collection grows, it could become a talking point at family gatherings!
If you are not into collecting, maybe you could upcycle your empty ang pows as boxes.
Watch this video to find out how to make such boxes.
