The Chinese New Year is a time full of anticipation and excitement for children, not only to eat delicious food, have fun, but also to get New Year's money. So what is New Year's money? According to legend, a long time ago, on Chinese New Year's Eve, a monster named "Zhen" would come out to harm children. In order to prevent the child from being harmed, people wrapped eight copper coins in red paper to play with the child and placed it next to the child's pillow to drive away the monster. Later, these red envelopes wrapped in copper coins gradually became known as "pressure money", and later evolved into what we call today's New Year's money.
In traditional Chinese culture, the New Year's money not only represents the blessing of children, but also the wish to ward off evil spirits and pray for good health. On the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve, the purpose of giving the children money is to ward off evil spirits and avoid calamity, and to pray for a safe and smooth New Year. The red envelopes given on the first day of the Lunar New Year are more about blessings and hopes, hoping that the children can grow up healthy and happy in the new year.
In addition, the New Year's money is also a product of the blend of tradition and modern culture. In the past, people would follow some "universal numbers" to wrap up the New Year's money, such as: The number 2 symbolizes good things coming in pairs, the number 6 symbolizes good luck, and the number 8 symbolizes wealth. This way of enveloping red envelopes by numbers not only meets the requirements of traditional culture, but also caters to the festive atmosphere of modern society.
1. The time of distribution of New Year's money
Traditionally, New Year's money is given to children on Chinese New Year's Eve. This is because in ancient times, it was believed that the yokai "Zhen" would come out on Chinese New Year's Eve to harm children, so adults would guard the children all night until midnight "Zheng" would not leave. In order to drive away the "Zheng", people will give the children some pressure money, hoping that the children can spend Chinese New Year's Eve smoothly. The red envelopes given on the first day of the Lunar New Year are more expressions of blessings and expectations for juniors.
However, with the development of society, people's lifestyles are also changing, and some families may not be able to give their children money on time on Chinese New Year's Eve. Therefore, in modern society, the distribution time of New Year's money has been relatively flexible, and it can be arranged according to the actual situation of the family. Whether it is on the evening of the Chinese New Year's Eve or on the first day of the new year, as long as you can express your love and blessings for the children, it is meaningful.
2. The amount of the New Year's money
There is no fixed amount of New Year's money, and it can be decided according to the family's financial situation and personal wishes. In some families, it may have been agreed how much money to give, and it is enough to package it according to the agreed amount. And for the situation that the amount is not negotiated, you can refer to some "universal numbers" to wrap red envelopes, such as:
The number 2 symbolizes that good things come in pairs, so you can wrap 20 yuan, 200 yuan, 2000 yuan, etc.; The number 6 symbolizes smooth wishes, which can be wrapped for 66 yuan, 666 yuan, and so on; And the number 8 represents wealth, so you can wrap 88 yuan, 888 yuan, and so on. Of course, when packing the New Year's money, the most important thing is to choose an amount that suits you and decide it in combination with the specific situation.
There is a big difference in the amount of New Year's money, and the specific amount can be decided by referring to the following reliable information**:
1.Official ** Minnan Network "Chinese Children Take Red Envelopes as "New Year's Money" for the New Year, Meaning to Suppress Evil Spirits".
2.Official**Heilongjiang** "On the first day of the Lunar New Year, do you want to give the New Year's money? How much to give? How to give? These are all "knowledge points"! 》
3. The official **China News Network ""New Year's Money"**".
The above reference information can give more reliable and authoritative data and details for reference. Taking into account the diversity of privacy and socio-cultural aspects, the specific amount of money, such as the New Year's money, should be determined according to the actual situation of the family and the wishes of the individual.