Visiting relatives and friends during the Chinese New Year should be a festive event, but for Zhao Lei in Shaoyang, Hunan, it is "a lot of pressure" - there are many relatives in her hometown, and she has a total of 16 children New Year's money, 500 yuan each, a total of 8,000 yuan.
I was busy last year, and my year-end bonus was only 7,200 yuan. The Spring Festival gave the New Year's money, and it spent all my year-end bonus. On February 18, Zhao Lei said helplessly in an interview with reporters that in recent years, the New Year's money in rural hometowns has risen.
There are not a few people who have the same feelings as Zhao Lei. During this year's Spring Festival holiday, the discussion about New Year's money continued to heat up, and many young people posted lamenting "why is the New Year's money rising higher and higher" and "thousands at every turn, which is very stressful for people of my age". There are also people who complain that the year-on-year New Year's money has added a lot of economic pressure and troubles to the elderly in rural areas, and the New Year's money may not have played a role in "pressing the New Year" for children, but it has "crushed" the elderly.
A number of interviewed experts pointed out that as one of the traditional New Year's customs, the New Year's New Year's money for the younger generations is a kind of "New Year's flavor", representing expectations and wishes, but in recent years, the continuous New Year's money in some places has become a heavy economic burden for young people and the elderly. There are also some people who compare with each other, which makes the meaning of the New Year's money change, and this phenomenon is worth pondering. All localities should actively take measures to guide the masses to establish a correct concept of New Year's money, put an end to the phenomenon of New Year's money comparison, so that New Year's money will no longer be "involuted", and return to the original intention of connecting feelings and passing blessings.
New Year's money is often hundreds of yuan
The pressure on the sending and receiving crowd is huge
Zhao Lei is 31 years old and her hometown is in rural Shaoyang. She remembers that when she was in college, most of the money given by the elders to the juniors was 60 yuan, 80 yuan, and 100 yuan. I don't know when the custom in the village became that one or two hundred yuan could not be used, and gradually rose to 300 yuan, 500 yuan, 600 yuan, and even 1,000 yuan.
I don't give 500 yuan is not much, and when I wrap the red envelope, I am 'in pain', and I really want to find a reason not to go back to my hometown for the New Year. Zhao Lei half-jokingly said that she doesn't have any children yet, and she can't get in and out of the New Year's money, which is really a headache.
She even discussed with her parents whether she could give a little less, such as 300 yuan, but was severely stopped by her parents, saying that in this way, people would point fingers behind her back, 500 yuan is the minimum standard, if her money is not enough, her parents can make up for it, "My parents are farmers, there is no income at all, and it is not easy to bear this money, but the older generation pays special attention to face and human relations."
Zhang Cheng, a citizen of Fuyang, Anhui Province, deeply agrees with this. His parents live in the countryside, and every Chinese New Year, many elderly people will worry about the New Year's money. "My dad is in his 70s this year, and in addition to our brothers and sisters who take their children to pay New Year's greetings to him during the Chinese New Year, his nieces and nephews will also take their children to him. A child has at least 100 yuan to press the New Year's money, and more than 10 children almost need 2,000 yuan. ”
This year, 62-year-old Wang Lizhi works as a plasterer in Huaihua, Hunan Province, with a salary of 3,200 yuan per month. He told reporters that every year during the Chinese New Year, he had a headache, "Originally, it was only one or twenty yuan for the children, and everyone was very happy, but then it rose to fifty or sixty yuan, one or two hundred yuan, and now it costs three or four hundred yuan at every turn." Come to 10 children, and the salary will be gone in more than a month. ”
When the reporter asked why he didn't lower the standard, Wang Lizhi replied: "Everyone will compare, and neighbors will also talk about it, others give so much, and you take less, not only is it not good-looking, but it also seems that you don't value others." ”
Wen Kunshan, who is over seventy years old, also feels the same way. The New Year's money he gave to his grandchildren has gone from 20 yuan all the way to 200 yuan now. "Now no one has a 50 yuan red envelope, and 100 yuan is a bit out of reach. I mainly rely on farming to earn money, and the New Year's money is the biggest expense of the year, and there are more than 20 grandchildren, granddaughters, nephews, and grandnieces. ”
During the interview, the reporter noticed that in addition to the people who paid the New Year's money felt a heavy burden, some people who collected the New Year's money also felt pressure.
Xie Lin, who works in Beijing, returned to her hometown in Sichuan for the Chinese New Year with her children who are a few months old this year, and almost every time family and friends get together, she receives a stack of red envelopes. Once, at a party, a relative didn't know that she had brought her children, and when she arrived at the hotel, she found that there were children, so she quickly got up and asked the waiter for red envelopes, and then went to the ATM next door to withdraw cash. Although she kept shouting "no, no, no", in the end, she couldn't resist the other party and could only accept it.
The amount of New Year's money on our side is not small, usually starting at 500 yuan. It's not easy for relatives and friends to make money, and I really don't want to be a burden for them to get together during the Chinese New Year. But the child was too young for me to take with me. So every time I have a big dinner, I can only accept the New Year's money. Xie Lin said, and the New Year's money will be repaid after all, and in the future, I will have to find various opportunities and reasons to return the money, "It's also a headache to think about this, as a person who can't go back to his hometown several times a year, and keep thinking about it, it's also a mental burden." ”
In some places, the comparison is serious
Influencing the value of money perception
Legend has it that the money given by the elders to the younger generations during the Chinese New Year can be used to suppress evil spirits and ensure that the younger generations spend the New Year safely. Traditional New Year's money must be given by the eldest person in the family, because they have more life experience and are more vigorous in "pressing the New Year".
With the development of the economy and the improvement of living standards, people's ideological concepts have changed. Especially in recent years, the red envelopes given to children in some places have been fast because of the psychology of comparing with each other. The reporter combed through public reports and found that in some areas, red envelopes for children start at 1,000 yuan70,000 yuan red envelope.
Some analysts pointed out that the continuous improvement of the New Year's money standard is the result of the impact of some extravagant "wind of the times". This "wind of the times" is not only spawned by the impetuous atmosphere on the Internet, but also blows from the urban area, coupled with the reconstruction of the traditional social structure in the countryside has triggered a change in the concept of "human investment", which has led to a stronger and stronger atmosphere of comparison, and the amount of New Year's money seems to have become the standard for measuring family affection and friendship. "If you don't give it, you can't do it, and if you give less, you're afraid of being discussed" has become a true portrayal of many people's inner contradictions.
For young people with good economic conditions, it may not matter if they spend thousands of yuan or even tens of thousands of yuan of New Year's money every year, but for ordinary workers or the elderly who only rely on a few acres of land income, giving juniors a large amount of New Year's money will become a New Year's trouble. After staying in her hometown for a while, Zhao Lei found that many rural elderly people mainly rely on farming for a living, and as they grow older, they can't plant the land, and their physical condition is not as good as before.
For some elderly people who are old and have lost the ability to work, the main thing to do is the alimony given to them by their children. The so-called New Year's money is just a turn of the child's hand. Zhao Lei said.
Wang Zhongwu, a professor at the Department of Sociology at Shandong University, said that the original intention of the New Year's money was to express a wish and expectation for the health and happiness of children, and the original intention was good. However, in some places, the New Year's money has risen, and even caused a great financial burden to some families; There are also some people who compare with each other, which makes the meaning of the New Year's money "change the taste", which is worth pondering and reviewing.
Cheng Cheng, whose hometown is located in rural Suqian, Jiangsu, is quite touched by the phenomenon of large New Year's money in rural areas due to comparison. According to local customs, the elderly usually give their children one or two hundred yuan for the New Year, and it has not changed for many years, but this practice has often encountered the impact of "urban standards" in recent years.
Some children in the city went back to the village for the New Year, and complained too little after receiving the red envelopes, and the old people felt very uncomfortable when they heard it; Some people have moved to live in the city, and when they return to their hometowns for the New Year, the red envelopes given to the juniors are often five or six hundred yuan, and the party who receives the red envelopes also gets five or six hundred yuan or even higher when they return the gift, and the 'standard' is slowly coming up. Cheng Cheng said.
He Huili, a professor at the College of Humanities and Development of China Agricultural University, pointed out that the deformed comparison phenomenon has caused an imbalance in New Year's money and income, which has increased great economic pressure and troubles for the elderly, especially in rural areas, and has also directly affected children's money outlook and values, which need to be governed. The meaning of the New Year's money is good, it means blessings to the child, as long as this function is achieved. The elders love their children, and the more money they give, they compare with each other, which violates the meaning of the New Year's money, and may even cause conflicts.
Experts believe that the meaning of New Year's money is rich and beautiful, and it carries the care and ardent expectations of the elders for the younger generation. In the benign interaction of New Year's money, the warmth of the family and the richness of family affection are highlighted, and the traditional folk culture is inherited. If the New Year's money becomes a tool to show off wealth, it will not only affect the children's values and money outlook, but also equate the amount of New Year's money with the amount and weight of the elders' love for them, and then form a cognitive misunderstanding of family affection, materializing or monetizing family affection; It is also easy to give rise to the wrong concept of "the bigger the red envelope, the more face" and other bad behaviors such as excessive consumption, which runs counter to the meaning of its blessing and the warmth of the New Year.
Guide the inclusion of village rules and conventions
Advocate moderation and moderation
The reporter noticed that in view of the increasingly fierce phenomenon of New Year's money comparison, many places have guided the people to send New Year's money reasonably through various ways in recent years, and it is currently the most important way to incorporate the New Year's money into the village rules and regulations.
The Civilization Office of Fuyang City, Anhui Province recently replied to the relevant questions reflected by netizens, saying that it will increase publicity and education, and guide the rural masses to establish a correct concept of New Year's money through various positions such as civilized practice and news; Guide the grassroots to incorporate the reasonable distribution of New Year's money into the village rules and regulations, and advocate the rural masses to establish a family style and family motto of diligence and thrift; Learn from and promote effective practices in other places, advocate rational economy, and resolutely oppose comparison and waste.
In the "2023 Village Rules and Regulations (Residents' Convention) of Hexia Street" announced by Huai'an District, Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province, the Luosi Street Village Rules and Regulations and the Zhenhai Village Village Rules and Regulations stipulate that the New Year's money will not taste good, and children are not used to it. Huwan Village, Huangqiao Street, Xiangcheng District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, convened members of the consultation council to hold a meeting around "improving village rules and regulations and establishing a new style of civilization", mainly discussing "New Year's money does not taste good, and children are not used to it".
In February 2018, the Yunnan Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision issued the "Notice on Regulating the Handling of Weddings and Funerals in Rural Areas", requiring that the personal and economic burdens of rural people be effectively reduced, and that gifts or gifts worth no more than 100 yuan should be given to participate in rural marriage and funeral banquets. At the same time, prevent and correct disguised gift-giving in the form of giving New Year's money, and do not give New Year's money except for close relatives.
There are also many places to guide the masses to send New Year's money reasonably by issuing proposals and holding relevant theme activities, emphasizing that New Year's money does not taste good.
He Huili believes that in addition, it is also necessary to actively advocate good family style, family education, and family culture. With a good family style, parents naturally know how much money to give the New Year. We should not talk about this issue on the issue of New Year's money, but we should advocate and promote the construction of the family, and use the effort in ordinary times.
The reporter interviewed and found that in real life, although there is a trend of comparison around them, there are still many people who insist on giving New Year's money according to their own economic situation, not comparing, not following the trend, and not excessive.
Wang Wei from Guiyang, Guizhou Province, agreed with his brothers and sisters this year to only give small red envelopes to his children, which is unified at 80 yuan, "everyone just wants to have a lively and festive celebration." Previously, according to the customs of his place, the New Year's money was usually 200 yuan, and he had to spend thousands of yuan for it every Spring Festival.
There are more than 10 children in the family, and some may only see each other once a year or even not for a few years. This year, I said it directly in the family group, and the relatives agreed, so that the pressure on the adults was not so great, and the children were happy to receive the red envelopes. Wang Wei said.
In many places in Guangdong, "Pali is (red envelope)" only talks about "meaning" is not as good as money, 5 yuan, 10 yuan, how much you can get at will. In a village in Hechi, Guangxi, children go door-to-door to greet the New Year, and adults prepare 2 yuan "Li Shi" in advance.
The happiness of the New Year is the surprise at the moment when you receive the New Year's money, and it doesn't matter if you have more money or less money. Zhang Jun, a 12-year-old child who lives in Jiangmen, Guangdong, received more than 80 red envelopes this year, most of them in the amount of 10 yuan or 20 yuan, and he is very happy about it.
On social platforms, there are also many people who hope to go home for the New Year and make money according to their ability, everyone is kind and happy, rather than being "kidnapped" by the trend of comparison and following the trend, "don't slap your swollen face and become fat", "don't have internal friction".
The interviewed experts believe that the hope of breaking the dilemma of New Year's money is not only to say "no" to this irrational atmosphere through a reasonable mechanism, but also to achieve mutual understanding between social groups from a cultural and psychological perspective. For example, when children in the city go to the countryside, the guardian should explain clearly the characteristics of the countryside and the "New Year's view" of the elderly in advance, and guide the children to experience the joys and sorrows of people's livelihood in the context of the village, so as to avoid biased evaluation of the thickness of a red envelope. As the juniors and their parents who collect the money, they must consider whether the red envelopes are "deserved" and whether they usually have enough material and spiritual care for the elderly.
In Wang Zhongwu's view, it is necessary to appropriately pour cold water on the atmosphere of rising New Year's money and cool down. Send and return, usually give more when you pay it back, it is easy to form a vicious circle, if not curbed, the amount of New Year's money will continue. He suggested that relevant departments should introduce advocacy norms and refer to the methods of governing red and white ceremonies to form soft constraints. **The society persuades unreasonable behavior, advocating moderation and moderation.
Give the New Year's money to ask for good luck, everyone does what they can, to give, can not let the children have no happiness of the New Year's money, but the amount of red envelopes can be less. It's stress-free and festive, so why not? Zhao Lei said. (Some of the interviewees in this article have been pseudonyms).
*Rule of law**.
Editor-in-charge: Lu Shicheng.
Responsible proofreader Yuan Xi.
Editor-in-chief: Yan Yun.
Final Review: Editorial Board Member Li Rong.