Product Code Database
A red envelope, red packet, lai see (first=t), hongbao or ang pau (first=t) is a gift of money given during holidays or for special occasions such as weddings, graduations, and birthdays. It originated Chinese culture before spreading across parts of Southeast Asia and other countries with sizable Overseas Chinese.
In the mid-2010s, a digital equivalent to the practice emerged within with mobile wallet systems localized for the Chinese New Year, particularly WeChat.
The act of requesting red packets is normally called (hp=tǎo hóngbāo) or (links=no), and, in the south of China, (links=no). 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, following Chinese beliefs; odd-numbered money gifts are traditionally associated with funerals. An exception exists for the number nine, as the pronunciation of nine (p=jiǔ) is homophonous to the word long (p=jiǔ), and is the largest single digit. In some regions of China and among the Overseas Chinese, 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 word four (p=sì) is similar to the word death (p=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 in hongbao given 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 youth kowtow to thank their elders. In Hong Kong, red envelopes are traditionally opened on or after Renri.
During Chinese New Year supervisors or business owners give envelopes to employees.
In Suzhou, 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". Those would 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 to lion dance performers, religious practitioners, teachers, and doctors.
Red packets as a form of bribery in China's film industry, were revealed in 2014's Sony hack.
In the Chinese communities of Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macao, 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 the Lunar New Year.
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 owner Tencent and 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. Gift Contagion in Online Groups: Evidence From WeChat Red Packets , Yuan et al., arXiv preprint, 2020. Since 2020, brands such as HeyTea, Tencent Video, Disney, and the Palace Museum have used custom WeChat red envelope covers to promote seasonal themes, product launches, or cultural IP. These covers often incorporate zodiac motifs, New Year greetings, or brand mascots, allowing users to share branded visuals during gift-giving, thus turning red envelopes into tools of viral marketing and cultural engagement. (2025). 9783031492150, Springer Nature Switzerland. ISBN 9783031492150
In the Tang 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 the Song dynasty and Yuan dynasty dynasties, 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.
The Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty dynasties 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 "" (压岁钱) emerged. The book (清嘉录) recorded that "elders give children coins threaded together by a red string, the money is called ."
From the Republic 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 of China in 1949, the custom of the elders giving the younger generation money continued.
Ang pav are 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.
|
|
