It's 2022 & you're still giving out cash for ang baos? Time to get with the times.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began two years ago, Singaporeans have had to make do with socially distanced events and celebrations.

Now that we’re in 2022, it’s safe to say that the way we go about our daily lives has more or less changed for good.

From working from home to meeting our friends and family online instead of in person, you could say that we have “gone digital” in how we partake in activities.

Conversations on sustainability have also been thrust to the fore, with many questioning the environmental impact of wearing disposable masks.

This Chinese New Year, we ruminated on four ways festive celebrations have changed since Covid-19.

Have you noticed some of these changes yourself?

1) Tech has enabled us to go about traditional practices more conveniently

It’s almost a ritual for Chinese Singaporeans to head to the bank every year to queue for new notes to give physical ang baos.

My mother, for one, typically makes it a point to queue for new notes a few weeks before CNY.

This year, Singaporeans were able to obtain new and good-as-new notes from DBS via more ATMs and self-service touch points around the country.

There are now 64 pop-up ATMs located at 45 Community Clubs, Self-Service Branches and POSB Digital Lobbies across Singapore, all of which are accessible and situated within close proximity to major transport nodes.

This comprises 30 POSB new notes pop-up ATMs, which were the first-of-their-kind in Singapore when launched in 2015 in partnership with the People’s Association.

Additionally, DBS/POSB has converted 34 existing ATMs (across select self-service and financial planning branches) into dedicated self-service touchpoints for disbursing new and good-as-new notes.

These ATMs and self-service touchpoints are operational for 21 days this year, which is three more days than CNY 2021.

Another thing that has improved since Covid-19 is that you can now check on crowd levels before deciding when and to which ATM you should head down to with DBS’s ATMs heat map, so you can avoid the long queues and crowds.

To ensure that customers are able to get their new notes smoothly, preparation works began as early as June last year.

Check out some of the behind-the-scenes footage of the DBS team behind the pop-up ATMs:

These efforts are DBS’s way of helping customers to celebrate CNY in the most hassle-free way possible, and at the same time, ensuring everyone’s safety amidst the pandemic.

2) Digital gifting continues to be on the rise

In the spirit of going green and celebrating CNY sustainably, an increasing number of Singaporeans have been opting to give QR gift cards (QR ang baos) or e-ang baos to their loved ones, instead of physical alternatives.

I myself have received several e-ang baos over the past few years, most notably from aunties and uncles who are not present in Singapore during the festivities.

Hosted on DBS PayLah!, these digital gifting options are not only more environmentally sustainable than gifting cash, but also saves customers the time and hassle of obtaining new and good-as-new notes at branches and ATMs.

DBS QR Gift (QR ang bao)

For example, the DBS QR Gift presents a ‘phy-gital’ alternative that preserves the meaningful and time-honoured tradition of exchanging physical red packets.

Made of environmentally-friendly FSC-certified paper and designed to be gifted on their own, they do away with the need for new notes and red packets, both of which incur significant carbon footprint.

Here’s how you can load your DBS QR Gift Card:

DBS eGift

On the other hand, the DBS eGift is a fully digital gifting option and is especially convenient for customers who want to exchange blessings from the safety and comfort of their homes.

Customers simply need to tap the in-app ‘eGift’ icon in DBS PayLah! and indicate their preferred amount, along with a message and animation of their choice:

Both DBS QR Gift and DBS eGift have been gaining traction over the years, with customer adoption hitting a record high in CNY 2021.

Case in point: some S$6.3 million was loaded onto DBS QR Gift cards during CNY 2021, up from S$2.5 million the year before.

In fact, you may just receive one from your boss this year as DBS shared that they have seen an 80 per cent increase in companies adopting QR Gifting to date as compared to 2021.

For more information, click here.

3) Less physical gambling, more online games

With safe distancing measures in place this CNY, only gatherings with up to five people are allowed at any one time.

This means that like the past two years, there will be significantly fewer opportunities to mingle with friends and relatives, let alone gamble together in large groups.

Thankfully, you will still be able to have your share of festive-themed fun if you play DBS’s TapLah! game and third annual Hunt Your Zodiac game on the PayLah! app.

TapLah!

From Feb. 1 to 15, DBS will be giving away up to S$888 for all eligible users who obtain the highest scores on gamification TapLah! on DBS Paylah!.

All you have to do is gift or redeem a DBS QR Gift Card or eGift worth at least S$6 for a chance to play.

There will be 10 lucky winners daily who will win S$88 and the player with the highest score across the entire gaming period will win an additional S$800!

Here’s how to play the game:

And here’s how to check your score and view the leaderboard:

Click here for more information.

POSB Hunt Your Zodiac

The 3rd edition of #HuntYourZodiac will also be happening from Jan. 30 to Feb. 15 with over S$180,000 worth of cash prizes to be won!

The idea of the game is to travel around Singapore to hunt for 60 virtual zodiac animals: 12 zodiacs multiplied by five elements (Earth, Wood, Water, Fire, Metal).

Users will have to play a mini-game to catch the zodiac animals.

Each successful catch may come with oranges, which players can redeem for ang baos worth up to S$888 with the God of Fortune!

To increase your winning chances, players can redeem different CNY delicacies, which function as power-ups, by making a transaction via Paylah!, referring your friends to play the game, or by completing challenges.

Click here to play the game.

4) More conscious celebrations

Year after year, CNY celebrations have become more prosperous, yet conscious at the same time.

This is both due to a greater awareness about the effects of climate change and a greater sense of social responsibility in Singaporeans.

For example, there has been an increase in younger Singaporeans buying their CNY clothes from more sustainable secondhand sources like thrift shops whilst others have been reducing paper wastage by repurposing and recycling old ang baos into CNY decorations.

Likewise, my family members have become more conscious about unnecessary wastage during the festive season and have taken steps to counter this problem.

How are some ways you too can bring in more ‘huat’ by being more sustainable this CNY:

Recycle used ang baos

Consider recycling your used ang baos and redeemed DBS QR gift cards after the festive celebrations.

You can do so by dropping them off at dedicated red packet recycling bins located at all DBS/POSB branches islandwide.

Reuse old food packaging or buy glass containers

Another thing you can do to avoid excess packaging is by reusing old food packaging or buying glass containers to store CNY snacks.

Glass containers, in particular, are hardy and can be reused time and again for different storage purposes, CNY or not.

Bake your own pineapple tarts

Store-bought pineapple tarts are baked with margarine, which is made from 100 per cent palm oil and contributes largely to climate change.

This year, why not try baking pineapple tarts yourself by using cleaner ingredients?

This is not only a healthier option but may also save you some money, depending on the type of ingredients you buy.

Donate leftovers to reduce food wastage

If you find yourself with extra snacks or leftover food this CNY, consider donating them to cut down on food wastage.

You can do so by contacting several non-profit organisations in Singapore that distribute excess food to those in need.

The Food Bank Singapore, for example, sources and rescues more than 800,000 kilograms of food annually to more than 360 member beneficiary organisations islandwide.

Meanwhile, Food from the Heart provides reliable, consistent and sustainable food support to the less fortunate through food distribution programmes.

Together, we can give more and waste less as we work towards a greener future.

This sponsored article by DBS got this writer excited about celebrating CNY in a safer and more sustainable way.

Top images via DBS