how to do chinese gifting?

the Chinese do western-style gifting also, but they do prefer cash in small pretty envelopes printed with good luck and prosperity symbols. during Chinese new year, they call this small cash gifts "hung bao". traditionally, they were given to all the kids and older single people by all the married couples, no exceptions. the cash could be as low as $5. you clean up if you know a lot of married people. also, during festivals, symbolic food is the gift of choice. like for the dumpling festival, dumplings are shared; for the autumn festival, mooncakes are given as gifts- you get the drift. closest festival to christmas is the Chinese new year, when all things are new- clothes and furnitures. so that means cash gifts and glutinous rice cakes.

Last year my family did it.We put all the presents in the middle of the room.We picked numbers to see what order we picked our presents in.If you liked someone else's gift when it came to your turn you could take their gift and they would chose another gift.Continue till all the gifts are gone.

keep the receipts, chinese are picky people and never happy about what they get