Chinese New Year Traditions Red Envelope
Chinese new year is a red envelope season.
Chinese new year traditions red envelope. It is also gifted when a person is visiting as a gesture of kindness for visiting. It is a traditional way to wish good luck and share blessings. But red envelopes are not limited to chinese new year.
Unlike our christmas where we exchange various gifts the chinese give money. Chinese lunar new year red envelope traditions and meanings by weigu cultural insight culture shock exploring culture family food holidays hosting experiences chinese new year also called spring festival has more than 4 000 years of history originating during the shang dynasty. Also this is a very old chinese tradition and without this the celebration of new year cannot be completed.
Hong pao in mandarin lai see in cantonese. Given the expense of traveling home for the holiday many employers give their employees a red envelope filled with the equivalent of a month s pay at the beginning of the festival along with a smaller token of red when they return. Red envelopes also called red packets lucky money or hongbao in chinese are a popular monetary gift given on some important occasions or festivals in china and some other asian countries especially widely seen during the chinese new year spring festival.
Red envelopes are gifts presented at social and family gatherings such as weddings or holidays such as chinese new year. Instead of santa claus or presents under the tree you get your glossy red envelope. The recipient of a red envelope at chinese new year or on his or her birthday should not open it in front of the giver.
Kids of all ages quickly learn the words for red envelope. Elders used the red envelopes to give cash gifts to their children instead of wrapping gifts in paper. The chinese new year red envelope is one of the favorite chinese traditions for children since on new year s day they are given the shiny things with money inside.
Chinese new year red envelopes are very widely used on the occasion of chinese new year 2021. Every lunar new year it s a tradition in chinese and other southeast asian societies to gift a red packet or envelope called hóngbāo in mandarin filled with a monetary gift. At chinese weddings the procedure is different at a chinese wedding there is a table at the entrance of the wedding reception where guests give their red envelopes to attendants and sign their names on a large scroll.