During Chinese New Year, elders and married couples will hand out ang pao to younger and single family members as it’s a symbol of blessings. But some young people are more concerned with the amount of money inside than the thought behind it.
Recently, a netizen shared a jaw-dropping story on the “UTAR Confessions” page, where his/her cousins were caught complaining over their ang pao money.
During a family call over Zoom, the netizen’s mother gave his/her cousins RM50 each via e-wallets due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, when they were about to end the call, the cousins started to complain about getting too little, remarking that it wasn’t enough to buy gaming skins. And this was with the microphone turned on! #confirmkantoi
“Aunty only gave us RM50. Some people only gave RM10. They’re so kiansiap (stingy) lah!”
Needless to say, many netizens were angry and speechless as to how young people take ang paos for granted and become resentful when it’s not up to their expectations, regardless of how hard it is to make money during this pandemic season.
One netizen remarked, “If they don’t know how to show any respect, no more red packets for them!”
Another said that RM50 is a large ang pao to receive and that it’s hard to come by.
Some said that parents need to teach their children the real meaning of ang paos or else it will cause them to be ungrateful.
Netizens born in the 2000s shared the same sentiment, with some saying they were embarrassed to take ang paos at a time of great financial difficulty.
Coincidence? We think not!
A similar incident took place in Taiwan when a man gave a NT1000 (about RM 144) ang pao to his elementary school cousin, but he didn’t expect what came after that. After receiving the money, his cousin crumpled the ang pao into a ball before throwing it to the ground.
“Don’t you know how hard it is to earn money?”
Compared to the past generation, younger people now have little idea over the value of money as their main focus is on getting more without giving a thought to the hardships that come with it. After all, an ang pao is not just a packet of money, but it also carries the hopes and dreams that the older generation wish to see fulfilled by those who come after them. We should learn to respect our elders and be grateful for their kindness.
Sources: Facebook
Editor: Shitian Chew
Proofreader: Sarah Yeoh
