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1. It's a tradition to put crisp, new bills inside a Chinese New Year red envelope. Giving dirty or wrinkled bills is in bad taste. In the week leading up to Chinese New Year, many people stand in long queues at banks to exchange old bills for new ones. 2. You're supposed to avoid putting coins in the envelopes. 3. [See more: Chinese New Year: 3 auspicious dishes to welcome the Year of the Dragon] 6. There’s a 15-day window for giving. The time for handing out red envelopes is from the first to the fifteenth day of each Lunar New Year, and because it’s the lunar calendar, the calendar dates will vary from year to year. The money inside is not the focus, though. The most important element is the red envelope that wraps the money. Red is a significant color in Chinese culture; it is believed to bring energy, fortune, and happiness. If you receive a lai see, it means someone wishes you to have a good life ahead. Red pocket, red packet, red envelope. What is this magical red thing? Regardless what term you use, 红包 (hóng bāo) are great because they contain money. The money in red envelopes is also known as 压岁钱 (yā suì qián), literally meaning “money to anchor the year(s).” It is also known as “lucky money” or “New Year’s money.” The red envelopes (red pockets or red packets), lucky money, hong bao in Mandarin, or lai see in Cantonese, are commonly used as a monetary gift during the Chinese New Year. service@chinatravel.com 86-773-286-5632 (Intl rates apply) For Chinese families, Chinese New Year is the most significant and joyous occasion of the year. In addition to the lavish New Year's Eve feast with a variety of lucky foods and the New Year decorations that add to the celebration, this unique festival also features an essential old tradition: giving children New Year red envelopes (Mandarin: hongbao; Cantonese: lai see) with lucky money inside. It’s expected that you’ll give red envelopes to your own children ($20 is common), to any unmarried children among your family and friends ($5-$10 is common), to your parents ($50-$100 is common) and to any friends or family you visit ($20 is common) during the Chinese New Year holiday. Ringing in the Chinese New Year comes with traditional gifts like ang paos (or red envelopes). These envelopes contain money, symbolizing well-wishes and good luck for the coming year. But it's not the cash inside that's actually given value. Rather, it's the envelope that takes center stage. 1. Chinese New Year. When visiting family and friends during the Chinese New Year holiday, be prepared with a fistful of red packets to hand out in every household in which you encounter children, e.g. unmarried, young dependents, typically teenagers and younger. 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). It is a Chinese New Year gift with money stuffed into red paper to kids. Unsurprising of a story so old, alternative origins exist, including one version of the legend that includes sealing money in red paper. But the earliest examples of mass-produced envelopes today synonymous with Chinese New Year appear to be from 1961, produced by Wells Fargo. It is tricky to trace the exact switch from giving strings of coins In this article, I’ll walk through the etiquette for giving and receiving the red envelopes filled with lucky money that are an iconic symbol of Chinese New Year. We’ll get to the details in a moment, but I’ll start by highlighting that the red envelope custom is all about the reciprocity of giving and receiving. 1 The custom of giving red envelopes originates in some of the oldest stories of Chinese New Year. As the legend goes, a demon known as 'Sui' terrorized children while they slept on New Year’s Eve, and parents would try to keep their children awake all night to protect them. How Much To Put In A Red Envelope? There are no set answers to this question and individuals decide according to their financial status. The amount also varies between close and distant relationships. Here are the most common scenarios for giving red envelopes during Chinese New Year. Relative's kids: RMB 200 - 1,000 Generally, on New Year’s Eve or New Year's Day, Hang says children give their best wishes to their family members and in return receive red envelopes with money "to bless them with good luck in Chinese new year red envelopes, aka hongbao, are lucky money wrapped in red packet given to kids and elders during Chinese New Year, or given on weddings and birthday parties. A red envelope (red packet or red pocket), lucky money, hong bao in Mandarin, or lai see in Cantonese, is commonly used as a monetary gift during holidays or special Yeah my parents used to give me $200-500 in red envelopes but we don’t have much family here, so I’d only get an envelope from them. If I had a bigger family, it would likely add up to that much if you totaled all the envelopes given even if they’re multiples of 20. Chinese New Year Red Envelopes are one of the favorite Chinese traditions for children, because on New Year’s Day they are given the shiny packets with money inside. Kids of all ages quickly learn the words for red envelope: “hong bao” in Mandarin, “lai see” in Cantonese. This year’s Chinese New Year falls on Feb 10. One of the things that everyone associates with Chinese New Year is hongbao (红包) — money-filled red packets given to family, friends, colleagues, and employees. Every year around this time, I always find myself checking in with others about how much to put in the envelopes. New Year Red Packet Taboos. Always use a new red packet envelope; do not reuse last year’s or previously used ones. Do not give red packets with odd numbers (100, 300, 500) and avoid amounts with the number “4”. Do not give an empty red packet. The money inside the red packet should not be folded.
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