Red envelope

Ared envelope,red packet,lai see(Chinese:利是;Cantonese Yale:laih sih),hongbaoorang pau(traditional Chinese:紅包;simplified Chinese:红包;pinyin:hóngbāo;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:âng-pau) is a gift of money given during holidays or for special occasions such as weddings, graduations, and birthdays.It originatedin Chinabefore spreading across parts of Southeast Asia and other countries with sizableethnic Chinese populations.
In the mid-2010s, a digital equivalent to the practice emerged withinmessaging appswithmobile walletsystems localized for theChinese New Year, particularlyWeChat.
Red envelopes containing cash, known ashongbaoinMandarinandlaiseeinCantonese, are gifts presented at social and family gatherings such asweddingsor holidays such asChinese New Year; they are also gifted to guests as a gesture of hospitality. Thered colorof theenvelopesymbolizesgood luckand wards offevil spirits.In Chinese, the red packet is also called "money warding off old age" (壓歲錢;yāsuì qián) forChinese New Year.
The act of requesting red packets is normally calledtao hongbao(Chinese:討紅包;pinyin:tǎo hóngbāo) oryao lishi(Chinese:要利是; pinyin:yào lìshì), and, in the south of China,dou lishi(Chinese:逗利是; pinyin:dòu lìshì; Cantonese Yale:dauh laih sih). Red envelopes are usually given out to the younger generation who are normally in school or unmarried.
The amount of money contained in the envelope usually ends with an even digit, followingChinese beliefs; odd-numbered money gifts are traditionally associated with funerals.An exception exists for the number nine, as the pronunciation ofnine(Chinese:九; pinyin:jiǔ) ishomophonousto the wordlong(久;jiǔ), and is the largest single digit.In some regions of China and among theChinese diaspora, odd numbers are favored for weddings because they are difficult to divide. One widespread tradition is that money should not be given in fours, or the number four should not appear in the amount, such as in 40, 400, and 444, as the pronunciation of the wordfour(四;sì) is similar to the worddeath(死;sǐ). When giving money, new bills are favored over old bills. It is common to see long bank queues before Chinese New Year holding people waiting to acquire new bills.
At wedding banquets, the amount offered is usually intended to cover the cost of the attendees as well as signify goodwill to the newlyweds. The amounts given are often recorded in ceremonial ledgers for the new couple to keep.
In southern China, red envelopes are typically given by the married to the unmarried during Chinese New Year, mostly to children. In northern and southern China, red envelopes are typically given by the elders to those under 25 (30 in most of the three northeastern provinces), regardless of marital status.The money is usually in the form of notes to make it difficult to judge the amount before opening. In Malaysia it is common to add a coin to the notes, particularly inhongbaogiven to children, signifying even more luck.
It is traditional to avoid opening the envelopes in front of the relatives out of courtesy. However, to receive an envelope, the youthkowtowto thank their elders. In Hong Kong, red envelopes are traditionally opened on or afterthe 7th day of the Lunar New Year.
During Chinese New Year supervisors or business owners give envelopes to employees.
InSuzhou, children keep the red envelope in their bedroom after receiving it. They believe that putting the red envelope under their bed can protect the children. This action relates to the Chinese "壓yā". Thoseyasui qianwould not be used until the end of Chinese New Year. They also receive fruit or cake during the celebration.
It is traditional to give an actor a red packet when he or she is to play a dead character, or pose for a picture for an obituary or a grave stone.
Red packets are also used to deliver payment for favorable service tolion danceperformers, religious practitioners, teachers, and doctors.
Red packets as a form of bribery in China's film industry, were revealed in 2014'sSony hack.
In the Chinese communities ofSingapore,Malaysia,Hong KongandMacao, it is also customary for red packets to be given to service staff, such as security guards, cleaners, domestic helpers and doormen during the first few days of theLunar New Year.
Virtual red envelopes are available onmobile paymentplatforms. During the Chinese New Year holiday in 2014, themessaging appWeChatintroduced the ability to distribute virtual red envelopes of money to contacts and groups via itsWeChat Payplatform. The launch included an on-air promotion during theCCTV New Year's Gala— China's most-watched television special — where viewers could win red envelopes as prizes.
WeChat Pay adoption increased following the launch, and over 32 billion virtual envelopes were sent over the Chinese New Year holiday in 2016 (a tenfold increase over 2015). The feature's popularity spawned imitations from other vendors; a "red envelope war" emerged between WeChat ownerTencentand its historic rival,Alibaba Group, who added a similar function to its competing messaging service and held similar promotions.Analysts estimated that over 100 billion digital red envelopes would be sent over the New Year holiday in 2017.One study reported that this popularization of virtual red packets comes from their contagious feature—users who receive red packets feel obligated to follow.
The history of the red packet dates to theHan dynasty. People created a type of coin to ward off evil spirits,"yasheng qian"(Chinese:压胜钱; pinyin:yāshèng qián), which was inscribed with auspicious words, such as "May you live a long and successful life". It was believed to protect people from sickness and death.
In theTang dynasty, the Chinese New Year was seen as the beginning of spring, and in addition to congratulations, elders gave money to children to ward off evil spirits.
After theSongandYuandynasties, the custom of giving money in the Spring Festival evolved into the custom of giving children lucky money. The elderly would thread coins with a red string.
TheMingandQingdynasties featured two kinds of lucky money. One was made of red string and coins, sometimes placed at the foot of the bed in the shape of a dragon. The other was a colorful pouch filled with coins.
In Qing dynasty, the name "yāsuì qián" (压岁钱) emerged. The bookQīng Jiā Lù(清嘉录) recorded that "elders give children coins threaded together by a red string, the money is calledyasui qian."
From theRepublic of China (1912–1949)era, it evolved into 100 coins wrapped in red paper, meaning "May you live a hundred years!". Due to the lack of holes in modern-day coins, red envelopes became more prevalent. Later, people adopted banknotes instead of coins.
After the founding ofthe People's Republic of Chinain 1949, the custom of the elders giving the younger generation money continued.
Other similar traditions also exist in other countries in Asia.
InThailand,Myanmar(Burma), andCambodia, the Chinese diaspora and immigrants introduced the practice of red envelopes.
In Cambodia, red envelopes are calledang pavortae ea("giveang pav").Ang pavare delivered with best wishes to younger generations.Ang pavis an important gift as a symbol of good luck from the elders.Ang pavcan be presented on the day of Chinese New Year orSaen Chen, when relatives gather. The gift is kept as a worship item in or under the pillowcase, or somewhere else, especially near the bed of young while they are sleeping.Ang pavcan be either money or a cheque, and more or less according to the donors.
Ang pavare not given to someone in family who has a career, while such a person has to gift their parents and/or their younger children or siblings.
At weddings, the amount offered is scaled to cover the cost of the attendees as well as help the newlyweds.
Red envelopes are a traditional part of Vietnamese culture. They are considered to be lucky money and are typically given to children duringVietnamese New Year. They are generally given by elders and adults, where a greeting or offering health and longevity is exchanged. Common greetings include"Sống lâu trăm tuổi"(𤯩𥹰𤾓歲),"An khang thịnh vượng"(安康興旺),"Vạn sự như ý"(萬事如意) and"Sức khỏe dồi dào"(飭劸洡𤁠), wishing health and prosperity. The typical name for lucky money islì xì(利市) or, less commonly,mừng tuổi(𢜠歲).
InSouth Korea, a monetary gift is given to children by their relatives during the New Year period. Bags known asbokjumeoni(복주머니) are used instead of red envelopes.
Monetary gifts calledotoshidama(お年玉)are given to children during theNew Year period.White or decorated envelopes(お年玉袋,otoshidama-bukuro)are used instead of red, with the name of the receiver usually written on the front.A similar practice,shūgi-bukuro(祝儀袋), is observed for Japanese weddings, but the envelope is folded rather than sealed, and decorated with an elaborate bow, calledmizuhiki(水引).
In thePhilippines,Chinese Filipinos(known locally as "Filipino-Chinese") exchange red envelopes (termedang pao) during theLunar New Yearor "Chinese New Year". Red envelopes have gained acceptance in the broader Philippine society. Filipinos with no Chinese heritage appropriated the custom for occasions such as birthdays and in giving monetaryaguinaldoduringChristmasandNew Year. Due to the phonetics of most Philippine languages, red envelopes are nowadays more well-known asampaw.
MalayMuslims inMalaysia,Brunei,Indonesia, andSingaporeadopted the Chinese custom as part of theirEid al-Fitr(Malay:Hari Raya Aidilfitri) celebrations, but instead of red packets other colored envelopes are used, most commonly green. Customarily a family gives (usually small) amounts of money in green envelopes, and may send them to friends and family unable to visit.Greenis used for its traditional association withIslam. The adaptation of the red envelope is based on the Muslim custom ofsadaqah, or voluntary charity. While present in theQur'an,sadaqahis less formally established than the sometimes similar practice ofzakat, and in many cultures this takes a form closer to gift-giving and generosity among friends than charity. I.e. no attempt is made to give more to guests "in need", nor is it a religious obligation. Among theSundanese people, a boy who had been recently circumcised is given monetary gifts known aspanyeceporuang sunatan.
The tradition ofang paowas adopted by local Indian Hindu populations ofSingaporeandMalaysiaforDeepavali. They are known asDeepavali ang pow(in Malaysia),purple ang powor simplyang pow(in Singapore).Yellow colored envelopes for Deepavali were give in the past.