The Red Envelope

Courtesy: www.chinaadoptiontalk.blogspot.com

Happy Chinese New Year! Have you ever experienced the gorgeous event of Chinese New Year? Personally, I do it every year with my family and most of us do. This is the event that Chinese race waiting for! Because we'll get much money, much food, and of course full of hapiness itself. The red envelope on this event is the most waiting-for gift for every child and un-married person from their family. Actually what is Chinese New Year? What is the red envelope? Let's check it out!

Actually most of us hear this greeting on January-February. What is Chinese New Year? It's a time for Chinese families to gather to celebrate New Year with feast. Chinese New Year also referred to “Eve of the Passing Year” and “Lunar New Year”, because Chinese calendar is lunisolar (counting days based on the moon).

In this event, people will pour their money to buy presents, decorations, clothes, foods, etc. and they will clean the whole house to sweep away the bad luck. Presents, decorations, clothes, and any things that related to Chinese New Year usually take good fortune, happiness, wealth, or longevity as themes.

One thing that describes Chinese New Year most, The Red Envelope or we called it “Ang-Pao”. This red envelope has various size and decorations. Usually, the color of it is red. Sometimes the color for the envelope is mixed with gold, yellow, or white. But some envelopes are not rectangle-shaped but has a unique shapes like Chinese girl or boy, dragon, etc.

Ang-Pao is given by the married to family members that haven't married yet. Usually it is given to the young. The real mean of Ang-Pao isn't about the money inside it, it's about wishes and pray inside. Usually the amount of the money doesn't contain number four because in Chinese language four means death. But number 88 and 168 are lucky numbers for the amount of the money. But there's great debate about the amount of the money. Usually it has an equivalent with wages or giver's relationship with the recipient. The closer the relationship or the older the ages means more money will be given.

In Chinese culture, giving Ang-Pao means showing love and gratitude to someone even she/he is younger or had a lower position. Like grandparents to their grandchildren, boss to his employees, and even friend to friend who have the same age. The recipient of the red envelope shouldn't open it in front of the giver, because it is taboo and inapropriate. But, you are still able to give Ang-Pao outside this event, like birthday, wedding, etc.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_envelope

http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/p/Chinese-New-Year-Red-Envelope.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

Ong, Grace Quarissa Hadinata - 9i/31 - Cahaya