BEIJING (SCMP): The 15th day of the first lunar month falls on March 3 this year. In Chinese culture, not only is the day known as the Lantern Festival, it is also the last day to give out red packets.
Then on and after the 16th day, you can finally count the money you collected over the Lunar New Year.
According to Chinese tradition, opening these red envelopes – hong bao in Mandarin or lai see in Cantonese – before the festival officially ends on its 15th day, tempting as it may be, may ruin a perfect cycle of celebration, as symbolised by the first full moon of the new year.
The exception to this rule is the seventh day, which marks “everyone’s birthday”. On this day – February 23 this year – it is OK to celebrate by opening your lai see to acknowledge the well wishes you received from friends and relatives.
However, the best and most auspicious day to open your red packets in the Year of the Horse is actually March 4, or the 16th day of the new lunar year, according to Hong Kong fortune-tellers.
It is worth noting that it is good practice – and etiquette – to not open lai see immediately after you receive them and in front of the giver. On the other hand, it is also inauspicious to leave red packets unopened so be sure to remove the cash within the next couple of months.
Finally, the red envelopes themselves are signs of good luck and fortune so do not litter the streets with them.
Better still, look for organisations that collect and recycle used lai see envelopes to promote a more sustainable and environmentally friendly festive tradition. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
