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Lunar New Year

By: iTopTopics Staff

Lunar New Year Custom: Lucky Money

Lunar New Year Custom: Lucky Money

Red envelopes with “lucky money” inside have been given out during Lunar New Year celebration as a must-have tradition. Red color is a primary color for this particular holiday. Red is a color of energy, of fire, of passion, of desire, of power, of love. Married couples give out the red envelopes to unmarried ones to wish them having good relationships and love; to children as a wish for them to grow strong, energetic, enthusiastic and smart; to elderly as a wish for their good health and long lives; to business associates as a wish for good fortunes. This custom focuses on married couples who are fortunate enough to find love would spread the luck and joy to others. But this rule doesn’t apply for families. During Lunar New Year, relatives can also give lucky money to married couples as a way to wish them blissful marriages and happiness together.

One notable key is the lucky money should be crisp, brand-new bills to signify the new beginning. The amount of money varies but the total amount has to be an even number. It is important to avoid the number “four” (si), because it sounds like the word for death; any words and their homonyms related to death, illness, or bankruptcy are inauspicious.

For the ones who receive the red envelopes, there are a certain etiquette rules on how to receive them. When you receive a red envelope from anyone, use both hands to show respect and express thank-you. In some countries like Vietnam, the ones handing out the red envelopes and the ones receiving them both exchange well wishes to each other. Never open the red envelope in front of the person who gave it to you. Best to do it at home so it doesn’t show as if you were counting your “good fortune” in front of others.

The lucky money custom has been so popular that even people who don’t celebrate Lunar New Year still find it fascinating. Do you know that US Treasury Department has been issued lucky money as collectibles since 2000? You can order your lucky money from Treasury Department.

Lunar New Year Custom: Firecrackers

It started from a folk tale in ancient time in China dated more than 2,000 years ago, there was a monster called Nian who would wreak havoc villagers’ homes and their crops, their farms. One day the villagers happened to burn bamboos when the monster approached the village. The hot fire and the cracking noises of the bamboos in the fire drove the monster away. Nowadays, firecrackers are fired at the start of the Lunar New Year to chase away evil spirits and bad energy.

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