During Chinese New Year, young people who greet their elders with a happy and abundant New Year receive lucky red envelopes from the elders. These envelopes are really good luck for a young man because they have money inside. Lucky red envelopes are called “hong bao” in Mandarin or “lai see” in Cantonese.
Symbolism of the Lucky Envelope
Giving money during Chinese New Year is considered lucky for both the giver and the recipient. Those who give will also invite the flow of money throughout the year. Giving these envelopes also symbolizes that family luck is also passed down to children and teenagers/single adults.
Red, as always, is the luckiest color as it symbolizes life, so it’s only fitting that Chinese New Year items be colored red. Hong paos have various designs, such as happy children, Chinese characters for abundance and greetings, zodiac animals, etc. The Chinese word for red (“hong”) also sounds like “a lot.” Thus it is believed that money wrapped in red will make money multiply.
The money inside the hong bao is called Ya Sui Qian. Ya means suppress; Sui sounds somewhat like an evil spirit. Qian means money. Therefore, Ya Sui Qian means money that can suppress evil spirits. It is believed that this lucky money can also help children to be safe and healthy during the year.
Giving the Hong Bao/ Lai See
Money in equal amounts except 4 is considered lucky. 4 is not a good amount to put in lucky envelopes because the Chinese word for “four” sounds similar to the sound for “death”. A good way to measure how much to put in a hong bao is about the same amount as in a candy bar. An adult can give 1 envelope, while married couples usually give 2 envelopes. It is said that in some parts of China, only mothers give the hong bao as a gift.
Young people kindly accept these lucky envelopes on Chinese New Year with sincere thanks (that’s “xie xie” in Mandarin or “doi jeh” in Cantonese). They often give thanks while kneeling 3 times.
Out of good manners, the hong bao should not be opened in the presence of the giver. The receiver can only do so after leaving the giver.
It is recommended to keep the lucky money inside the hong bao and not spend it immediately. Young people are encouraged to save their money. And besides, it is believed that this money brings luck and well-being, so it is better to keep it.
