For the Chinese, the red envelope is an indispensable part of life,there are important roles to be played in visiting friends, weddings or funerals, and business dealings.
Traditionally, red envelopes refer to lucky money, which is money wrapped in red paper for children during the lunar New Year. In the Ming and qing dynasties, most of the money was given to children with red ropes. After the republic of China, it became wrapped in red paper. Along with the social development, especially the development of the Internet, a high quality paper red envelope is also advancing with The Times, constantly evolving, is not only the elder to the younger generation, between friends, between lovers, supervisor, or even strangers will send red envelopes to express wishes, bless, contact feelings.
Do foreigners send red envelopes?
As an important creator of world civilization, do Chinese people also bring the Chinese traditional culture to the world? First of all, what are the neighbors of Japan and South Korea that are influenced by Chinese culture in history? The Japanese new year is the Gregorian calendar in January 1st to January 3rd, a China Spring Festival and almost, said the ancient Japanese will go to the shrine in the new year’s money, but also take part in, said by the gift of God and shelter, it is the beginning of Japan’s gift money. Similarly, gift money will usually use new money into a special envelope, the envelope of the child’s wishes and to write. When other wedding, such as marriage, children, such as offer birthday congratulations, usually with a more formal gift bags, called “happy instrument bag” is generally white or red, gold and silver, with the new money to be blessed; but if it is a funeral, would use black and white or grey white “foundation instrument bag installed on the old money, in order to expression mourn.
It is not hard to see that Japan and China have similar cultural aspects. As another neighbor of China – South Korea, but there is a big difference, that is the New Year’s money, and they give children a happy festival time, by giving the gift, even don’t packaging, either in pure white envelopes, in their eyes, white symbolizes the pure and clean.
In addition, in other areas such as Singapore, Vietnam and so on also influenced by the han culture of southeast Asian nations in the red envelope tradition and China all have the same place, are based on the economic situation and give reason for the difference between amount and packing. In the circle of influence of Chinese culture, the existence of red envelope culture seems not difficult to understand, so How about that in the transatlantic culture of the other side of the ocean?
For Americans, Christmas is their most important festival, during this period, people will give gifts each other, all alike, but usually exquisite packaging, content confidential, it will make people receive gifts be pleasantly surprised, the two sides will harvest happiness. So do they send money directly? The answer is yes but no. The reason for this is that they will give some “holiday tipping” to people who serve them at Christmas, like clockwork, nannies and personal trainers. The reason why it is negative is that the United States has a tradition of tipping, rather than giving it a gift in a special festival. Is Chinese living in the United States, even in the ocean, also forget to children red envelopes at the feast, and they will bring such habits to their American friends, let them also feel the unique Chinese blessing.
In the same way, in Britain, France and other countries in the form of gifts to express their wishes, rare directly given to others in the form of cash, even if there were, also a symbol of ceremony light affective weight number. So why is there such a cultural phenomenon in China? Social experts say, this kind of phenomenon and farming culture in our country, in the impergium, productivity and relatively backward production mode and married is a great thing, his family alone is very difficult to complete.Thus, the formation of a family and friends together to “gather together a force”, that is, “whip-round” model, which is a kind of primitive mutual aid.
