SINGAPORE - Local celebrities, including Romeo Tan and Xiang Yun, have revealed how much hongbao money they give to friends and family during Chinese New Year celebrations this year.

The celebrities also told AsiaOne portal what they thought of the practice.

Romeo Tan

The 34-year-old actor said he would give between $500 and $800 to his parents during the festive season, and his niece and nephew between $100 and $150, which he would pass to his brother.

While he does not accept any red packets from his elders and his grandmother, Tan he still accepts hongbao from cousins who are about his age.

Pan Lingling

The 49-year-old actress, who is married to former actor Huang Shinan, told AsiaOne the couple spent a "few thousand dollars each year". The actress, who said she enjoyed filling the red packets, said they gave them out to their many relatives and friends.

Andie Chen

The 39-year-old actor said he spent a four-digit sum in total on red packets during Chinese New Year.

He gave double-digit hongbao to friends and three-digit hongbao to family members.

Citing the tradition in Taiwan, where red packets are only given by working children to their parents and children below 16, Chen said it was silly to follow the "married rule", where married couples gift red packets to single or younger friends and family members.

"It's weird when your 40-year-old friend is receiving a hongbao from a 20-plus-year-old friend," he said.

Xiang Yun

The 58-year-old actress said she would give between $5 and $10 in each red packet as hongbao are supposed to be "a blessing to the recipient" and "to wish them good luck".

Xiang Yun recalled she once received a red packet with 20 cents when she was a child but there was "joy in receiving and opening" the hongbao.

Rather than fixate on the amount of one's hongbao loot, the actress told AsiaOne that it was more important for people to wish each other well during Chinese New Year.