Chinese New Year: Happy fat ang pao

Today is Chinese New Year. On one side of my condo hangs a large advertisement, placed by a condo developer. 'We hope you get a big fat ang pao gift,' it says.

Ang pao is Hokkien Chinese for red envelope.

Chinese people and their descendants give each other cash in red envelopes at Chinese New Year.

Boyfriend Maiyuu's grandmother comes from Thai-Chinese stock. He has no direct Chinese ancestry through his parents, but expects me to give him a red envelope anyway, as he likes getting money.

I bought a pack of red and gold ang pao envelopes from a local hardware store yesterday.

On the face of this year's envelopes is an ox, as 2009 is the Year of the Ox.

I only ever use one of them, as the only person to whom I give a red envelope is the boyfriend.

This morning when we woke he gave me a New Year's blessing for good luck and robust health in the year ahead.

I kissed his head, and presented him with his envelope. He has now gone to Silom to buy food.

Chinese shop in Talad Phlu

In the market where I live, many Thais live in shophouses - mainly two-storey affairs which have space for selling goods downstairs, and living quarters upstairs.

They were paying tribute to their ancestors this morning, as part of Chinese New Year festivities.

Some residents had put out food, as a sacrifice to the gods or their forbears. At one place I passed, the table was groaning with food. They light incense, and pray. Once that's over, some families sit down for a meal to eat it all.

Others burnt paper money in barrels. I passed several of these barrels this morning, with charred notes weeping smoke.

PS: Wiki tells me that the cash amount in the envelope should end with a lucky even digit (so, B500 qualifies). Next year, can I get away with giving him B250? It ends with the same digit, 0, after all.