CNY dinner

If you are invited to someone’s house for CNY dinner, is it good form to bring a red envelope (full of crisp bills, of course)?

For whom? The children?

Just bring some mandarin oranges, peanuts or other local snacks. Even number, no 4 pieces/bags etc. though.
If you think that’s not enough buy one of those gift baskets that you can get at Wellcome etc.

My wife says that a minimum of $200NT is fine for the kids. Don’t give money if you have kids also, as your host will then be obligated to give your kids some red envelopes. If your relationship to the host is deeper/more personal, than you can give more. Never give 400, though.

The money must also be in even hundreds (or thousands) – (e.g., not 300, but rather 200, 600, 800 etc.), and should be in crisp, new bills. You can bring envelopes prepared for this, so that just in case the host gives your kids some, you also have them ready for his/her kids. The better you know them, the higher the amount should be.

For the host, just bring a gift like a gift-boxed set of fancy tea or mushrooms or candies or somesuch; liquor is good too, or a nice bottle of wine.

I am going to take my host flowers… is this okay? Is there any kind I should avoid? Or any kind that would be special to take her? She is my good friend who happens to also be my good friend’s mother. So they are very close.

such a fob,

no white flowers is all i know.

jm

okay, i thnk i will go with the snacks. there are no kids, is the money for kids or something. i have a bunch of butterfingers and 3 musketeers in the fridge, i think those would make good snacks, hahah

You STILL have those? I thought we polished those off on the last hike!

JM’s right; no white flowers, which are funerary. You can ask the florist what would be good, and I’m sure they’ll help you…

Is your avatar baby David Bowie?

Does anybody know if JBs is open tonite and during the new years?

Give them a call

tel number?

No. Its not your custom. They didn’t give you a christmas gift either, did they? :stuck_out_tongue:

tel number?[/quote]

They have a banner flying here and have a thread here in the restaurant forum.

tel number?[/quote]

They have a banner flying here and have a thread here in the restaurant forum.

jbs-taipei.com/

No. Its not your custom. They didn’t give you a Christmas gift either, did they? :P[/quote]

I hope you were joking. If you are going to join someone’s dinner on a holiday that is their custom, you should follow their customs. I’m sure had they come over for Christmas dinner at his house, they would have brought a card or whatnot.

If I’d follow all customs here I’d be dead by now! Yes I was kind of joking, sorry. It might be the best to ask the friend/relative that is closest in the family what you should bring for their kids, etc at that dinner. In here my girlfriend said you give red enveloppes only to family members. As we aren’t married I’m not considered family by chinese customs, thus I’m saved. :slight_smile: Apparently you give grandfather/grandmother/father/mother etc around 6000(!), if you give them something. And kids, 200. New bills. Whats odd is that everyone you gave red enveloppes is supposed to give you red enveloppes too. I see some pyramide scheme scam here! :astonished:

Want to have fun on a CNY dinner? Ask them which chinese year is getting celebrated now, they don’t know! Not to mention that the new year is not at midnight as its a lunar-solar calendar . :laughing: