In the Chinese community, “Chinese New Year money ” and “red envelopes The Chinese New Year is one of the most important events of the Lunar New Year. Once a year, whether you are looking forward to receiving the Lunar New Year money or worrying about the amount of red envelopes to be wrapped, it may be difficult to get out of this Chinese New Year custom in the Chinese community.
Are red envelopes and New Year’s money the same thing?
Lin Mao-Hsien, an associate professor in the Department of Taiwanese Language and Literature at National Taichung University of Education, who has long studied Taiwanese folklore, has told BBC Chinese about the origin of Chinese New Year money and the Culture of red envelopes.
“First of all. red envelope’ is not equal to ‘New Year’s money’, it refers exclusively to the New Year’s gift given by the elder to the younger generation to be called New Year’s money. Lin clarified that the two expressions are often mixed today.
It is said that the Chinese word for “year-end money” is ” is the same as “祟 The “year” sound is the same as “Soun”, that is, the sneaky Soun, so the money has the meaning of suppressing the evil spirits, to suppress the bad calamities.
As early as two thousand years ago in the Han Dynasty has been the custom of pressing the money, the meaning is to suppress the evil spirits, but in the Qing Dynasty has officially become the custom of the New Year.
Recorded in the Qing dynasty capital customs of the “Yanjing years and times record” wrote: with colored rope through the money, braided in the shape of a dragon, placed at the foot of the bed, called the year-end money. The elder’s gift to the children is also called the year-end money.
As for the “evil spirits What exactly is “evil spirits”? Lin Maoxian said, there are several versions circulating. One of them is: in ancient times there was a monster called “Soun “, the New Year will come to touch the head of a child, was touched the head of a child will become stupid.
In addition, there is also the “New Year’s beast” that will eat people “version. Taiwanese folklore has it that the origin of the New Year’s money is that “the Jade Emperor will sink the island of Taiwan on New Year’s Eve “, after the Family spent the last dinner together, Parents will be money to family members.
Nowadays, New Year’s money has changed from “suppressing evil spirits ” to “blessing “.
How are red packets referred to in various places?
New Year’s money is called “New Year’s money” in the Taiwanese dialect of Minnan. “, because children will be frightened or encounter bad things in the New Year, to suppress this hurdle.
In Hong Kong, in addition to New Year’s money, there are also red envelopes for friends, relatives and subordinates, called “li-yi The “li yi”, which is harmonized with “li shi” and “li mai”, means “great luck” and “good things”.
In Singapore’s written language, it is customary to write the red packet as “Ang Pao” in the Minnan pronunciation ” or other phonetic writing, and the Italian translation of “Red Envelope “Red Envelope” is rare.
Some Singaporeans say that in English, or when communicating with elders who only speak Hokkien or Minnan, they say “Ang Pao “, while when speaking Chinese, they say “紅包 “.
Who gives red envelopes?
Although Chinese New Year’s money and red envelopes are common customs in Chinese society, there are still differences in their practical application.
In Hong Kong, red envelopes are generally given only to married people, and in families to children and elderly people who are not working. The objects of the red packets are wider than in Taiwan, even colleagues and neighbors may receive a few dozen to several hundred Hong Kong dollars in accordance with their affinity, in order to have a good luck in the New Year.
In mainland China, red envelopes are generally given only after Marriage, but it varies from person to person. Some unmarried people who are already working say that they don’t receive red packets after they work, but they don’t give them to their juniors yet.
In Taiwan, the convention is to start wrapping red envelopes after work – to the elders as a token of appreciation and to the younger generation as a token of blessing.
Chinese in Malaysia also have this custom, and those who start wrapping after they get married or after they work have done so.
What are the pros and cons of WeChat red envelopes?
In China, where online payments are well developed, sending red envelopes on WeChat has become a new trend for the New Year since 2014.
Users can bind their bank cards and use the online payment technology provided by the industry to set up red envelopes ranging from a few cents to a few hundred yuan to be sent in groups for people to grab or to send to individuals.
Internet software is easier and more convenient to pay, without the hassle of going to a bank or ATM to withdraw money and hand it over to the recipient in person, which is favored by many people, especially young people who prefer to swipe their phones.
However, many people still believe that it is necessary to take physical red envelopes to feel the New Year. The important thing is the moral of the red envelope, not the money inside. The electronic ones don’t have that kind of meaning in them.
There are also people who say that the New Year is about family reunion and sharing family love, so you should shake your phone less to grab the red envelope.
In recent years, WeChat red envelopes have also brought out another kind of concern: there are fraudsters issuing fake red envelope links, click on the light phone poisoning, or the money in the bank card without a trace.
So far, the WeChat red envelope still does not seem to have replaced the Chinese New Year money, if you can meet people still tend to give the physical red envelope, WeChat red envelope is just a supplement, send a picture of the fun of grabbing red envelopes. Unless you can’t see each other, you can take WeChat red envelopes instead of physical red envelopes.
What are the rules of red envelopes?
Over the years, there are some rules that have been agreed upon for red envelopes.
For example, in many places on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the principle that the amount must be an even number, but also a number of 6, 8, etc., means that good things come in pairs, six or six, and so on.
Lin Maoxian in the introduction of Taiwan’s red envelope regulations also said, in order to curry good luck, must be put in the red envelope bag money, can not put other things instead;.
After receiving the red envelope, bring it with you on New Year’s Eve to attract good fortune for the whole year!
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