Hongbao

[MaryAnn]

Chinese New Year is right around the corner, so now seems like a good time to take a quick look at one Chinese customs you may have seen but may not fully understand: Chinese red envelopes, or hongbao.  Our dear friend Natalie introduced us to hongbao several years ago when we joined her family's CNY dinner tradition, but I was interested in more of the details.  Luckily - there were lots of great articles, crafty tutorials, and memes available in the days leading up to CNY. :)

Origins

There are several legends as to how the hongbao came to be. One of the most popular talks about a demon that terrorized a village by sneaking into children’s bedrooms while they were sleeping. The children would fall dangerously ill as a result of the demon touching their heads. One worried couple prayed to their god for protection who, in return, sent fairies down to help. The fairies disguised themselves as coins and were placed under the child’s pillow at night. When the demon approached, the coins emitted a bright light and scared it away. Upon hearing this, the rest of the villagers began placing red packets containing coins under each child’s pillow.

Over time, this tradition evolved to be less about warding off evil and more as an expression of good will and prosperity.  Thank goodness!

Occasions

During Chinese New Year, elders will give the younger generation red packets to signify their blessings. Those already working will also gift their parents and grandparents hongbaos to wish them good health and longevity. They are given during weddings and birthdays as well, either in place of or in addition to presents. In the workplace, employees may sometimes receive red packets as a form of appreciation for their hard work (unrelated to the annual bonus).

Different blessings are inscribed on red packets for different occasions, so keep this in mind when shopping for one.  (I have no idea if the hongbaos I've been giving are inscribed with a general "Have a good luck year" or  perhaps "Have 12 babies and buy a new house".  My apologies!)

Amount

There is no hard and fast rule to how much should be in a hongbao, though it is agreed that the closer the relationship between giver and receiver, the higher the sum should be. It should also correlate to your income–the higher your salary, the bigger the hongbao you’re expected to give. Beware of inauspicious numbers like the number “four”—it’s a homophone with the word “death” in Chinese. Odd numbers are also discouraged because of their association with funerals. (I wonder if someone would really rather have 500RMB instead of 4444 RMB?)