Why do Chinese people love red envelopes so much

Traditionally, the red envelope, also called the New Year's money, is the money that elders give to children wrapped in red paper during the Lunar New Year. It is rumored that during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, most of the money was given to children on red string. After the Republic of China, the evolution of red paper wrapped. Now refers to the money wrapped in red paper bags; used to celebrate the gift of money. It means to bring blessings and good luck to them. Every year during the Chinese New Year there is the custom of giving red envelopes, in some areas it is given by married people to their unmarried relatives and friends. The custom of giving out red envelopes generally exists only among closer relatives and friends.

The origin of red envelopes The legend of red envelopes

Anciently, on the night of the New Year's Eve, a kind of demon called "Sneaky" would come out and touch the head of a sleeping child, and the child would often cry out in fear, and then suffer from a headache and fever, and become a fool. Therefore, every family sits up with their lights on on this day, which is called "guarding the evil spirits". There is a family of husband and wife in their old age to get a son exceptionally precious, they are afraid of the "evil spirits" to harm the child, so they took out eight copper coins to play with the child. When the child fell asleep after playing, they put the eight coins wrapped in red paper under the child's pillow. The eight coins wrapped in red paper scared off the "sneak" in the middle of the night, and after the story spread, everyone learned to do it in the future, and the child was safe and sound.

The history of red envelopes

The earliest Chinese New Year money appeared in the Han Dynasty. The earliest New Year's money was also called aversion money, or big pressure money. This kind of money was not the currency circulating in the market, but was specially minted in the shape of coins to avoid evil spirits for the sake of wearing and enjoying.

The Tang Dynasty, the court in the spring scattered money wind prevailed.

After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the custom of scattering money in spring evolved into the custom of giving children money for the new year.

Qing Fuqa Dun Chong, "Yanjing Yearly Records" is recorded in this way: "colorful rope through the money, braided into a dragon shape, placed at the foot of the bed, known as the New Year's Eve money. Honorable elder's gift to the children. Also known as the New Year's money." By the Ming and Qing dynasties, most of the money is given to children with red string.

After the Republic of China, it evolved into a hundred copper yuan wrapped in red paper, the meaning of which is "long life," to have reached adulthood to the younger generation of the New Year's money, red paper wrapped in a large ocean, symbolizing "prosperity, The red paper was wrapped with a big ocean, symbolizing "prosperous wealth" and "ten thousand profits". After the currency was changed to banknotes, parents liked to choose new banknotes with matching numbers to give to their children, because "Lian" and "Lian" are homophonic, which symbolizes that the future generations will "be rich again and again", "Lianlian high rise".

Today, the custom of giving New Year's money to the younger generation is still prevalent, and the amount of money ranges from tens of dollars to hundreds of dollars, which is mostly used by children to buy books and school supplies, and new fashions have given the money a new content. The custom of sending red envelopes on Chinese New Year has a long history, it represents a kind of elders to the younger generation of the good wishes, it is the elders to give the child amulet, blessing the child in the new year of health and good luck.