The three months from November mark peak season for Ng Pik-wan. Her family business, Ho Kee Printing, specialises in lai see packets and Ng is making the most of the Lunar New Year bustle, when red packets are given to signify blessings and good fortune.
The Causeway Bay outlet, where she has taken a short-term lease, is doing a roaring business ahead of the Year of the Tiger, providing a fresh take on a traditional item. Besides stocking the conventional red envelopes, her shelves are brimming with packets in more than 200 designs, with colours ranging from purple to green and bronze with shimmering black floral print.
'Hong Kong people want lai see packets that are creatively designed and reflect their status and personal taste,' says Ng. 'We have to come up with trendy designs to cater to the fashionable crowd.'
The dazzling choices available today are a marked contrast to the simple origins of lai see packets. According to legend, the custom of giving an auspicious red-coloured item during the Lunar New Year began as a way to ward off the nian, a monster that emerged to attack villages each spring.
The tradition spread during the Qing dynasty, when lai see took the form of coins tied up with red string, which were placed under pillows on the eve of the festival for protection. Over time, people began wrapping money with red paper and adults would give the red packets to younger family members as a blessing.
'The more lai see you give away, the luckier you are,' says Maria Tam Siu-mi, an associate professor of anthropology at Chinese University. 'The logic is simply that you have to be extra lucky to be able to share with others.'