According to a wildly unscientific street poll of 60 people by The Straits Times, Singaporeans intend to stuff between $8 and $10 into their hong baos this year. A generous gesture, considering the economy looks as bright as the future of the S-league.

The thing is, ST has been subtly telling Singaporeans how much to put in those red packets for years.

In 2014, it published a story, titled 'Is $2 hongbao too little?', insinuating that the practice of giving out $2 red packets was no longer acceptable.

This was followed last year with 'Hongbao inflation - what's the going rate this year', which spoke of how $8 was the new going rate in 2015, up from $4 to $6 in 2014.

So, from $4 in 2014, to $8 in 2016.  That's a 100% increase in just a span of two years for the alleged minimum going rate.

In contrast, unless you  founded a religion and collected money from your devoted followers or were the CEO of a wildly profitable transport company were promoted multiple times, your income probably didn't double in the same time period.

And if you think that's ridiculous, you should check out UOB's 'Red Packet Guide' below:

$132 in a red packet, per person?! Makes us wish our relatives were all UOB customers.

Anyway, the whole conundrum makes us wonder: Why should we be increasing the amounts/telling people to increase the amounts we put in our hongbaos if we aren't growing any richer?

In the past, people gave red packets as a way to express genuine care and well wishes to their loved ones. These days, we can't help but feel it's become all a matter of "face". A silly superficial competition to see who can give more money and impress the most relatives. Some find it stressful, and rightly so – most of our society is a competition anyway, so why can't we just sit back, chill and watch silly Stephen Chow movies during this time of the year?

Well, here at Mothership.sg, we believe that festive seasons should be worth celebrating. Don't let peer pressure, the national newspaper, billion dollar corporations (or even us, for that matter) tell you how much to pack in your hongbao.

For all those brave souls still giving out red packets filled with a humble $2 note, keep up the good fight.

We'll join you when our skins are thick enough.

(In the meantime, we'll give more money to those we love, and less to those we despise. Maybe even not at all. Seems legit.)

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