The History of Red Packets

The earliest Chinese New Year money appeared in the Han Dynasty. The earliest New Year's Eve money is also called the aversion to victory money, or called the big victory money, this kind of money is not the circulation of the money on the market, is in order to wear to play and special casting into the shape of the coin to avoid the evil products. This coin form of wear items first appeared in the Han Dynasty, some coins are minted on the front with a variety of auspicious words, such as "thousands of years", "peace in the world", "to remove the evil" and so on; The back of the casting of various designs, such as dragon and phoenix, turtle and snake, double fish, fighting sword, stars and buckets and so on.

Tang Dynasty, the court in the spring scattered money wind prevailed. At that time, the Spring Festival is "spring day", is the day of mutual worship in the palace, the people do not have this custom. Ziji Tongjian" Volume 26 records Yang Guifei gave birth to a son, "Xuanzong personally to see, happy to give the princess to wash the child gold and silver money" thing. In addition to congratulations, the more important significance of this money is the elders to the newborn child's talisman to ward off evil spirits and demons.

After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the first day of the first month to replace the spring, known as the Spring Festival. Many of the original customs belonging to the Spring Festival were also moved to the Spring Festival. The custom of dispersing money on the Spring Festival evolved into the custom of giving children New Year's money. Qing Fucha 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 New Year's money." In the Ming and Qing dynasties, most of the money is given to children with red string. 1949

If you were lucky enough to receive the New Year's money at this time, it sounded quite bluffing - 100 yuan, in fact, 100 yuan at that time was about the same as today's 1 cent, which can buy two candy balls - even the packaging is not the kind of .

Five dollars was a lot of money.

The 1950s

Then the currency system was changed, and the New Year's money began to be given in nickels and dimes - and you had to kowtow in respect to get it! However, it is also "happy to the butt", the cooperative to buy a small gun to buy snacks to go! Along the way that money was dead clutch in the hand until covered with sweat, hide to hide to hide the loss of bad luck often, that pain and today in the stock market cut meat is nothing different.

The sixties

The market is rising, but also two and a half cents, money in hand, in front of the eyes is a small book, a small gun, rice flowers.

The seventies

The children who were kowtowing on New Year's Day had no problem collecting five or ten dollars of New Year's money.

The 1980s

With more money, it was less popular to give New Year's money - the usual pocket money outweighed the New Year's money.

Since the 1990s

Children have become a rarity, and can get hundreds of thousands of dollars without moving their bladders - but fewer of them hold it in their hands, some of them let their parents take care of it, some of them put it in the bank, and some of them play games on the Internet. Most of the family "red envelope" is basically the money "turned around", in fact, the last is still in the hands of parents. Elders to the younger generation to send the custom of New Year's money is still prevalent, the amount of money from dozens of New Year's money ranging from a few hundred, the money is mostly used by children to buy books and school supplies, the new fashion for the New Year's money to give a new content.

The custom of giving out red envelopes at the Spring Festival has a long history, and it represents a kind of blessing from elders to their juniors. It is an amulet given to children by elders to bless them with good health and good fortune in the new year. The culture of red envelopes has a long history. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a small demon with black body and white hands, named "Sneak", which came out every year on the night of New Year's Eve and harmed people. It touched a sleeping child's head three times with its hand, and the child cried in fear, and then developed a fever, spoke in ravings, and got sick, which made the child become a fool. People were afraid that the evil would harm their children, so they lit up the lamps and stayed awake, which was called "guarding the evil". There is a family surnamed tube in the Jiaxing House, husband and wife in their old age, as the jewel in the palm of their hand. On the night of the 30th of the year, they were afraid of the evil spirit to harm the child, with red paper wrapped in eight copper coins to force the child to play, has been playing to sleep, but also put on the side of the pillow. In the middle of the night, when Sneaky touched the child's head, a bright light appeared on the child's pillow, and Sneaky ran away screaming in a hurry. The Guan's told their neighbors about it, and word spread, and it became a household name, and they all copied the practice of giving the child money for pressing his head, and it was carried on from the past to the present and the future.

By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the pressure money was changed into the New Year's money, mostly copper coins strung on a red rope for the children. In the Republic of China, it evolved into a hundred copper coins wrapped in red paper, which means "long life"; to the late adult New Year's Eve money, a red paper wrapped in a foreign currency, symbolizing "a million dollars". To this day, red envelopes have been popularized as a custom. Because the red color symbolizes good luck, so, every wedding, newborn, new house, construction, birthday, etc. ...... Red envelopes are given out. When there is happiness when congratulations, it is natural. Another example is to the bride, Taoist priests, monks and nuns, sedan chairmen, drummers, drivers, ladies and other people to send a red packet, in the past called "flower color", today renamed "tip", is to return to the hard work of others, there is no argument.

Sending and receiving red envelopes is a long-standing traditional custom of the Chinese people. The culture of red envelopes originally came out of a normal interpersonal relationship between Chinese people as a form of courtesy, reflecting the harmony of friendly feelings, and over the centuries red envelopes are still mostly in this sense. However, the more common meaning of sending red envelopes, one is to give the younger generation a kind of love and care, the pressure of the year money, birthday wishes contain the meaning of peace and good luck; the second is the wedding celebration has a happy when congratulations on the rituals, as well as friends and relatives at the beginning of the meeting, meet each other to feed the expression of good wishes; and then one is completely from the heart of the feelings of gratitude. And return the hard work of others, to the bride, Taoist priests, monks and nuns, sedan chairmen, drummers, car drivers and so on the red envelope, generally called "flower color", today is called "tip". It should be said that the culture of red envelopes, in addition to reflecting the Chinese focus on courtesy, there is the beneficiary does not forget the giver, but also dare not be ungrateful mentality. For how to deal with the problem of New Year's money, some people believe that it should not be simple "confiscated", and came up with a lot of ways to deal with it, such as depositing it in the bank, used to buy books or take the opportunity to educate children about financial management and so on.

It should be said that, in addition to reflecting the culture of red envelopes, Chinese people pay attention to the exchange of gifts, there are beneficiaries do not forget the giver, but also do not dare to forget the mentality of ingratitude. The seven continents of the world, wherever there are Chinese people, the red envelope culture exists, and the hallowed. When Chinese living abroad return to their hometowns to pay homage to their ancestors, they routinely send red envelopes to their friends and relatives. Due to the affinity of people, gift points thick and thin, the red packets sent also have a large, medium and small three grades, see what people send what red packets, which is also a feature of the red packet culture.　　The seven continents, wherever there are Chinese, the red envelope culture is clearly present.　　Red envelopes are given to underage people (according to the Chinese concept, married people are considered adults) as a sign of bringing wishes and good luck to them. The money in the red packet is just to make the children happy, its main significance is in the red paper as it symbolizes good luck. Therefore, it is impolite to open the red envelopes in front of the elders who distribute them.　　During the Spring Festival, elders will distribute pre-prepared New Year's money to their juniors. It is said that New Year's money can keep evil spirits at bay, as "岁" and "祟" are homophonic, and juniors will be able to spend a year in peace if they receive New Year's money. There are two kinds of New Year's money, which parents secretly put under their children's pillows.　　In foreign countries, some of the Chinese have dealings with friends of other ethnic groups, the Chinese culture of red envelopes is also routine, folk so, communities, companies also practiced as rituals.

The last century, the last Dragon Year Spring Festival, the then mayor of San Francisco, Brown, the first day of the first month of the Chinese **** congratulate the new year, but also to the people attending the distribution of red envelopes of New Year's Eve money, the festive atmosphere of the U.S. and Chinese culture mingled in the best possible way.

What's more, some banks, merchants in the Spring Festival, from the heights of the building down to the red envelopes, flying in the sky like a colorful, crowded streets such as the tide of people, scrambling to be the first to rush. People "rush" not for the insignificant dollar in the small red packet, but for the lucky red packet, which will bring them wealth and prosperity in the coming year.　　Theater stage in the new year performance, the play has been killed, violent death or wearing filial piety role, the troupe boss to play the role of the red envelope, so that they take to cook a bowl of flat to eat, both as a compensation for reward and for the elimination of bad luck and eliminate disasters. This custom is still practiced by many troupes. Is a weekday troupe performances in the countryside, the audience to the playwright (in fact, is the actor) to send red envelopes, is not uncommon.　　I returned to my hometown in Changle County, Fujian Province to see the play, the play played to a scholar in the court crying grievances, so that the audience shed a tear of sympathy. At this time there is a fashionable audience went on stage, a red envelope inserted in this will be decapitated in the scholar's hair bun.　　In such a situation, the actors on the stage performed and sang without any interference, and the audience did not think it strange and even praised it. Everyone understands that this is a good deed, not only to sympathize with the aggrieved, but also to send away the bad luck for the actors to usher in good luck.

In the 1940s, a film company in Shanghai made a new movie in which a foreigner was shot dead. Afterwards, the producer sent a red envelope to the foreigner's friend who was playing the role of the foreigner. The producer gave the foreigner a red envelope. The producer knew that the red envelope was money, but he didn't know what kind of money it was. When he knew that it was money for eliminating disasters and good luck he couldn't help but laugh and said that he would call him again when there was a shooting in the future.

All of these red envelopes do not belong to the rituals, it is a symbol of the elimination of evil, pray for peace and good luck, and compassionate sympathy to comfort the spirit of meaning. 1, love each other happiness forever, the same virtue and happiness long. May your love be deeper than the sea!

2, I wish you a happy marriage, happiness, passion forever, and grow old together!

3, let this lingering verse, ring the bell of happiness. May you two bathe in love forever and grow old together!

4, the highest state of the two love is relative to the two have no boredom, bless a pair of newcomers truly love each other, about forever! Congratulations to the newlyweds!

5, I wish you eternal love, a hundred years of happiness! Happy wedding, sweet!

6, you were born a pair, the earth created a pair, and now *** together, the future more need to be tolerant of each other, take care of each other, bless you!

7, may you two love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love!

8, he is the words, you are the score, you two are a harmonious song. The two of you are a song of harmony.

9, the millennium knot millennium edge, a hundred years of body with a hundred years of sleep. The natural talent and beauty match, only envious of mandarin ducks not envious of immortality.

10, may the happy song will always accompany you, may your married life overflowing with joy and happiness, always bathed in endless happy years. I wish you a happy wedding. Introduction

Red envelope is wrapped with money as a red envelope to send people the packaging envelope, the Cantonese said Lishui Feng. The custom of sending red envelopes to each other was popular a long time ago. The custom of sending red envelopes was popular a long time ago, but at that time it was just a note full of blessings wrapped in bright red paper, which meant good luck, to be sent to friends and relatives as a token of goodwill.

Red envelopes appeared in the Tang Dynasty, when hand-woven cloth bags were used as the "cover" and were limited to the court and official use, while folk were wrapped in a note full of blessings written on bright red paper to express their gratitude to friends and relatives.

About 300 years ago, people switched to using a square of red paper, wrapped in copper coins, sealed as "Li Shi". The first generation of printed paper red envelopes was introduced around 1900, when printing began to be widely used. At that time, the so-called red envelope, the practice is very simple, only printed on red paper with butter, and then in the not yet dry butter decorated with gold dust, the effect is like today's red envelope stamped with gold lettering, and the pattern is mostly simple, and then with auspicious words.

Red envelope cover printing exquisite, in addition to the traditional red, there is a gold envelope, above the pattern is also a wide variety, in addition to flat printing and hot stamping printing of auspicious patterns, Chinese zodiac patterns, there are three-dimensional laser printing and cartoon character patterns.

Since people who receive red envelopes often discard them after opening them, wasting a lot of paper each year, some environmentalists have proposed recycling red envelopes. In addition to save for the Chinese New Year or need to be used again to seal red envelopes, you can also do some New Year's ornaments, such as decorative fake firecrackers, fish-shaped or spherical pendant, and so on.

Stages of Development

The development of red envelopes is divided into four stages.

The first generation of red envelopes were mainly colorful, on which were mainly printed "Longevity Star", "Auspicious Celebration", "Carp Leaping Dragon Gate", "Promotion of Officials and Fortune", etc. The first generation of red envelopes were mainly colorful. Promotion and wealth" and other folk color is extremely strong pattern, then there are painters specializing in painting such pictures, for producers for red envelope pattern.

The second generation is the eighties, hot stamping is prevalent, there is no colorful pictures, purely hot stamping characters as decorative red envelopes also began to appear, the design at that time is simple and direct will be "blessed", "congratulations on wealth" and other auspicious words and phrases placed on the cover, there are also to "Hundred Surnames" plus Chinese patterns for embellishment, although the design is simple, but the most classic.

The third generation was in the 1990s, when red envelopes with colorful drawings and hot-stamping patterns became popular, but they were also more expensive than the previous two because of the process.

The fourth generation is after 2000, the market also appeared some cartoon character patterns, colorful, three-dimensional, irregular shapes, and even with the Octopus card holder merger of the red envelope, its pattern and style, more tend to diversify the trend, such as the major shopping sites appeared in the electronic red envelope.