About this collection
Lunar New Year is the most celebrated festival in many Asian cultures and amongst the Chinese diaspora. It is a period of reunion for family and friends, who typically greet one another with ‘Kung Hei Fat Choy’ (wishing you wealth and affluence) and offer ‘lai-see’ (cash in red envelopes). The red envelopes are a symbol of good luck and wealth. Traditionally, lai-see is given out by married couples, senior citizens and those in positions of authority. The recipients are younger or unmarried persons.
HSBC has issued lai-see as marketing gifts to customers over many decades. Designs in the 1970s and 1980s were relatively simple, featuring auspicious greetings in traditional Chinese characters. Packets issued from the 1990s onwards tend to be adorned with symbolic plants and animals. Different tones of red have also been introduced to enrich the palette, while still complying with the customary usage of red as the major hue. Enjoy these samples preserved in our archives.
