I don't know about other races but for the Chinese; we have the tendency to draw happiness from auspicious words or items that seem to infer a certain degree of auspiciousness, and no other time is more important than the lunar new year to display the aforementioned.
In my recent visit to Chinatown, a particular stall stood out from the conventional stalls in the festive bazaar; two vending machines that dispensed CNY lucky coins!
There were a total of six coins; fortune, blessing, luck, happiness, prosperity and longevity and it's touted to be the best gift for your family and friends this coming new lunar year. At just S$4 apiece and it's guaranteed you would get one; the machines proved to be rather popular with the masses.
I can imagine why; the price was not that high and such gold-plated items with auspicious meanings would appeal to many people, hoping the coin would give the receiver the blessing its supposed to be bestowed with.
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It's something i would love to get for my mom (she digs such things) but from the explanation of each coin; i am of the opinion it's more a game of luck for the person pressing the red button on the machine and it might be better for her to do it herself!
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Location
Between Sago Street and Trengganu Street,
Chinatown, Singapore