Red envelopes containing cash, known as
hongbao in
Mandarin and
laisee in
Cantonese, are gifts presented at social and family gatherings such as
weddings or holidays such as
Chinese New Year; they are also gifted to guests as a gesture of hospitality. The
red color of the
envelope symbolizes
good luck and wards off
evil spirits. The amount of money contained in the envelope usually ends with an even digit, following
Chinese beliefs; odd-numbered money gifts are traditionally associated with funerals. In some regions of China and among the
Chinese diaspora, odd numbers are favored for weddings because they are difficult to divide. One widespread tradition is that money should not be given in fours, or the number four should not appear in the amount, such as in 40, 400, and 444, as the pronunciation of the word
four () is similar to the word
death (). When giving money, new bills are favored over old bills. It is common to see long bank queues before Chinese New Year holding people waiting to acquire new bills. At wedding banquets, the amount offered is usually intended to cover the cost of the attendees as well as signify goodwill to the newlyweds. The amounts given are often recorded in ceremonial ledgers for the new couple to keep. In southern China, red envelopes are typically given by the married to the unmarried during Chinese New Year, mostly to children. In northern and southern China, red envelopes are typically given by the elders to those under 25 (30 in most of the three northeastern provinces), regardless of marital status. The money is usually in the form of notes to make it difficult to judge the amount before opening. In Malaysia it is common to add a coin to the notes, particularly in
hongbao given to children, signifying even more luck. It is traditional to avoid opening the envelopes in front of the relatives out of courtesy. However, to receive an envelope, the youth
kowtow to thank their elders. In Hong Kong, red envelopes are traditionally opened on or after
the 7th day of the Lunar New Year. During Chinese New Year supervisors or business owners give envelopes to employees. In
Suzhou, children keep the red envelope in their bedroom after receiving it. They believe that putting the red envelope under their bed can protect the children. This action relates to the Chinese "
yā". Those '''' would not be used until the end of Chinese New Year. They also receive fruit or cake during the celebration. It is traditional to give an actor a red packet when he or she is to play a dead character, or pose for a picture for an obituary or a grave stone. Red packets are also used to deliver payment for favorable service to
lion dance performers, religious practitioners, teachers, and doctors. Red packets as a form of bribery in China's film industry, were revealed in 2014's
Sony hack. In the Chinese communities of
Singapore,
Malaysia,
Hong Kong and
Macao, it is also customary for red packets to be given to service staff, such as security guards, cleaners, domestic helpers and doormen during the first few days of the
Lunar New Year.
Virtual red envelopes Chinese
instant messaging and
social networking platforms have offered a virtual version of red envelopes, also referred to as
e-hongbao,'''' via their
mobile payment features, allowing users to similarly distribute gifts of money to contacts and groups. WeChat Pay adoption increased following the launch, and over 32 billion virtual envelopes were sent over the Chinese New Year holiday in 2016—a tenfold increase over 2015. In 2019, WeChat added the ability for the virtual packets to be customized with covers created by brands, which can also link to and integrate with their respective WeChat presences (such as
Mini Programs). This feature would be utilized as a form of seasonal marketing and
viral engagement. One study reported that this popularization of virtual red packets comes from their contagious feature, as users who receive red packets feel obligated to follow. In January 2022, the American mobile payments service
Venmo introduced a similar feature called "gift-wrapping", which similarly allows sent money to be concealed and decorated with a themed animation (which, at launch, included several Chinese New Year-themed animations). Venmo parent company
PayPal cited increases in use of the red envelope
emoji (🧧) by users around the Chinese New Year. ==History==