One object, two names
Lai see and hongbao both mean the red envelope that holds a gift of money. Hongbao (红包, “red packet”) is the Mandarin name. Lai see (利是, also written 利市) is the Cantonese name, used in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong and in Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia, where giving red packets is called “派利是”.
The two names do not differ in paper, size or finish. Use either when searching or asking; what matters for a custom order is the size, paper, finish and quantity.
When red packets are given
- Lunar New Year, the main occasion. In the Cantonese custom, married elders give lai see to unmarried younger relatives and children.
- Back-to-work lai see: on the first working day after the New Year, many companies hand red packets to their staff for good luck.
- Brand gifts: companies and shops send branded red packets to customers before the New Year, a seasonal gift that is opened, passed on and kept.
- Weddings, birthdays and full-month celebrations, for gifts of money and return gifts.
Why branded lai see are common
Red packets are opened, handed around and often kept, so the brand name and artwork on them are seen by many people. Of the 256 red packets in the joyfold catalog, 94 are filed under the theme “corporate and brand”, the largest group — for example the whale design in two colourways, the KALLOS geometric pattern and the 潮粥荟 brand packet.
What to confirm before ordering
- Contents and size: a flat or a folded note sets the smallest size; see red packet sizes.
- Format: vertical is the most common; a horizontal (西封) envelope suits wide artwork, a square one a centred motif.
- Paper and finish: base colour, texture and metallic effects work together; see choosing paper and foil stamping.
- Quantity and designs: how many designs or colourways, and how many of each.
- Arrival date: demand peaks before the New Year, so state when the finished packets must arrive; see production timeline.
Put these together with the quotation checklist to state everything in one enquiry.
