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In chinese culture, it's a pretty normal thing to give red envelopes with cash inside[0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_envelope https://en.wikipedia.or

by lhorie 5y ago

In chinese culture, it's a pretty normal thing to give red envelopes with cash inside[0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_envelope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_envelope

mikepurvis 5y ago
Those are a family thing, though. Other than at my wedding, I've only ever received a straight cash gift from family members (eg, grandparents).
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  Every Chinese kid gets these during the New Year celebrations. It's not a family thing so much as it's cultural.
  - mikepurvis 5y ago
    But mostly within families, right? Admittedly I don't have any first hand exposure to these customs, but are red envelopes being given at work parties or between adult friends? The Wikipedia article cited in this thread is a bit vague on this: "Red envelopes are gifts presented at social and family gatherings such as weddings or holidays such as Chinese New Year. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is a symbol to ward off evil spirits. It is also gifted when a person is visiting as a gesture of kindness for visiting. The act of requesting red packets is normally called tao hongbao or yao lishi, and in the south of China, dou li shi. Red envelopes are usually given out to the younger generation who are normally still in school or unemployed." I loved Sacred Economics and I'm all about figuring out how to reintegrate potlatching and other gift economy ideas into the western world. We desperately need mechanisms other than inheritance for transferring wealth to the younger generations. So I'd love to hear that these practices are occurring outside extended families, but that's not been my impression.
    - AussieWog93 5y ago
      I've definitely seen hongbao exchanged between adult friends in a wedding setting, but I'm not sure if this extends to the general case.
    - lhorie 5y ago
      I mean, it's "mostly within families" in the sense that most gifting occurs within family anywhere, but it certainly isn't restricted to familial contexts; you could definitely give them to friends, co-workers, teachers or other acquaintances. Traditionally, there's some nuances to it, e.g. it's often a tradition associated with visiting someone, and it is meant to have symbolic intent, meaning that it doesn't fit settings like secret santas.
    - ximeng 5y ago
      Also given by managers to staff and generally to people that help you in your day-to-day life.
      - mikepurvis 5y ago
        Cool! I wonder if it’s maybe an analog to westerners giving extra big tips at the holiday season to their hairdresser, barista, cleaning lady, etc
        AussieWog93 5y ago
        Is that a Western thing? I know they do it in South Africa (along with a "13th month" of pay), and I'm assuming the US too. Outside of those two, I don't really know of any other Western cultures where tipping is much of a thing at all - let alone big tips at the end of the year.
        Symbiote 5y ago
        In Britain some people (used to?) give small tips to the paper boy, postman, milkman and dustmen at Christmas. Maybe nowadays this is the Amazon and Deliveroo zero-hours-contract drivers. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2524513/End-Christmas-tipping-More-half-dont-postmen-binmen-milkmen.html https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2524513/En...
  - a4isms 5y ago
    I married a Chinese woman, and thus at New Year’s all the children would go out of their way to do me favours so I would give them their red packets. I jokingly complained that I was getting a bad deal: I didn’t get red packets as a child, but I had to give them away as an adult. But my aunt-in-law put it most amusingly: “Giving red packets is even luckier than receiving them.” How so? “Do you have money to put in the packet and still eat? That’s pretty lucky."
dlhavema 5y ago
I get those from my boss every year. pretty cool tradition.

by lhorie 5y ago

In chinese culture, it's a pretty normal thing to give red envelopes with cash inside[0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_envelope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_envelope

mikepurvis 5y ago

Those are a family thing, though. Other than at my wedding, I've only ever received a straight cash gift from family members (eg, grandparents).

AussieWog93 5y ago
Every Chinese kid gets these during the New Year celebrations. It's not a family thing so much as it's cultural.
- mikepurvis 5y ago
  But mostly within families, right? Admittedly I don't have any first hand exposure to these customs, but are red envelopes being given at work parties or between adult friends? The Wikipedia article cited in this thread is a bit vague on this: "Red envelopes are gifts presented at social and family gatherings such as weddings or holidays such as Chinese New Year. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is a symbol to ward off evil spirits. It is also gifted when a person is visiting as a gesture of kindness for visiting. The act of requesting red packets is normally called tao hongbao or yao lishi, and in the south of China, dou li shi. Red envelopes are usually given out to the younger generation who are normally still in school or unemployed." I loved Sacred Economics and I'm all about figuring out how to reintegrate potlatching and other gift economy ideas into the western world. We desperately need mechanisms other than inheritance for transferring wealth to the younger generations. So I'd love to hear that these practices are occurring outside extended families, but that's not been my impression.
  - AussieWog93 5y ago
    I've definitely seen hongbao exchanged between adult friends in a wedding setting, but I'm not sure if this extends to the general case.
  - lhorie 5y ago
    I mean, it's "mostly within families" in the sense that most gifting occurs within family anywhere, but it certainly isn't restricted to familial contexts; you could definitely give them to friends, co-workers, teachers or other acquaintances. Traditionally, there's some nuances to it, e.g. it's often a tradition associated with visiting someone, and it is meant to have symbolic intent, meaning that it doesn't fit settings like secret santas.
  - ximeng 5y ago
    Also given by managers to staff and generally to people that help you in your day-to-day life.
    - mikepurvis 5y ago
      Cool! I wonder if it’s maybe an analog to westerners giving extra big tips at the holiday season to their hairdresser, barista, cleaning lady, etc
      - AussieWog93 5y ago
        Is that a Western thing? I know they do it in South Africa (along with a "13th month" of pay), and I'm assuming the US too. Outside of those two, I don't really know of any other Western cultures where tipping is much of a thing at all - let alone big tips at the end of the year.
        Symbiote 5y ago
        In Britain some people (used to?) give small tips to the paper boy, postman, milkman and dustmen at Christmas. Maybe nowadays this is the Amazon and Deliveroo zero-hours-contract drivers. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2524513/End-Christmas-tipping-More-half-dont-postmen-binmen-milkmen.html https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2524513/En...
- a4isms 5y ago
  I married a Chinese woman, and thus at New Year’s all the children would go out of their way to do me favours so I would give them their red packets. I jokingly complained that I was getting a bad deal: I didn’t get red packets as a child, but I had to give them away as an adult. But my aunt-in-law put it most amusingly: “Giving red packets is even luckier than receiving them.” How so? “Do you have money to put in the packet and still eat? That’s pretty lucky."

dlhavema 5y ago

I get those from my boss every year. pretty cool tradition.