>Yes - money (just a few dollars) goes into the little red
>envelopes. My parents and grandparents always called it
>"Lucky Money" to explain it to me and my brother. My brother
>and I are American-born Chinese and didn't always understand
>the traditions. I really should have paid more attention.
>
>Michelle
Yes, I believe the money is for good luck and prosperity. I'm also American-born Chinese (as are my parents), but we still follow many of the traditions. The "catch" to the giving of the "lay see" is that it is usually the married adults that give it to the younger generation of (unmarried) children. I just got married last October, so this will be my first year giving out the lucky money. I figure I'll give the envelopes to my younger cousins, cousins' children, and a couple to each of my two younger brothers -- even though they are in their 30's they're not married and should get a kick out of it!
There are also special foods that are eaten around this time. The one that comes to mind is a vegetarian dish called "jai" (rhymes with "eye"). It is made out of a lot of chopped up Asian food ingredients (mushroom, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, rice noodles, etc.). Haven't learned to make it myself, but my mother makes sure to save some for when we visit.
Then there's the different food items that are left out overnight on New Year's Eve (I think for the ancestors who come to visit that night), some cooked chicken, dried watermelon seeds, dried coconut, rock candy, tangerines. My mother always leaves a large plate of these things on the kitchen counter with a nightlight on all night. She also puts a little plate of the seeds, coconut, rock candy, and a tangerine in each room of the house.
Well, there are other traditions, but these are the ones that sort of stick out in my mind. I feel a little badly that I don't follow all of these in my own home. I'll maybe put a tangerine or two out on the counter...I suppose if and when I have children I'd like to pass these traditions down to them, though, so I try to observe and remember while my parents are still around...
