Chinese Red Packets: Reflecting Changes
of Cultures and Relations
The Chinese have always taken ‘family’ as a basic and core element of
society and paid attention to the relationship among family members. A clear and
strict hierarchy gave senior members of a family an elevated, non-arguable status
and authority over junior members (Baker, 1979). Younger members must respect
and follow their elders' orders without questioning. The great Chinese educator
and thinker, Confucius, also stated that elder and younger should keep in a ‘strict
order’ (in Chinese is ""zhang you you xu'). However, this did not mean that the
elders should not care about the younger members. In fact, documents from the
Chou Dynasty (1122- 255 B.C.) state that to care for younger members was a duty
given by heaven to a family’s elders.
The Chinese people, particularly seniors and elders, seldom express their
feelings of love towards family members verbally or openly. According to H.L.
Ho, “Only by examining some behaviours, traditions and customs carefully can
we understand the rationales behind intricate human relationships” (Ho, 1992: 11).
One of the predominant customs among the Chinese is the tradition of presenting
red packets to members within a family. This quiet, personal expression of love
provides us with insight into the familial relationships among the Chinese.
Since the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 A.D.), parents and senior family
members placed coins tied by a piece of colourful string, in the form of a dragon,
under their children’s pillows on New Year’s Eve. This kind of money was called
ya-sui-qian (""qiaiC means money) (Xian Dai Han Yu Ci Dian, 1983: 1437). They
gave their children money because they believed this would bring luck, dispel evil
from the house and work, and express thanks to all of the little ghosts inside a
house (Tun, 1965; Zhang, 1994). Later, people started placing the coins in a piece
of red cloth or red pape r, and later in a small red paper envelope.
These days, people do not follow the tradition of placing red packets
under pillows on New Year’s Eve only. Since people take the red packet as a symbol
to represent good luck, happiness, and blessing (Welch, 1997: 38), they present
them on occasions associated with wishing happiness, luck, and blessings: New
Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, birthdays, wedding days, the first day of school, of a
school examination, or of a new Job, upon leaving prison or hospitafor as thankyous for gifts, and in appreciation of services. A special packet is also given after
the taking of a woman’s virginity. In short, red packets relate to the expectation
and wish of all good things, and the elimination and prevention of bad things.