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Q: As a foreigner , have you ever given out or receipted any “hong bao红包 “ in China ?
Chinese new year is coming . Sending out “Hong bao红包” is one of the important habits.
“hongbao红包”，“ hong 红”means red ,lucky color in China,“bao 包” is pocket /bag .
There are many version of the origin.
According to the most interesting one legend , long time ago, there is a monster called “ sui” will come out on the night of lunar calendar 30th . While the kids are sleeping , “sui” will get close to the kids and touch the kids’ head secretly . The next day , When the kids wake up , they all have been turned into fools . So the parents have to stay up all night to protect their kids.
There is a father , he put a red pocket beside his son’ bed . While the kid’s sleeping , “sui” came . But the minute when he tries to touch the kid, he is driven away and got hurt by the powerful shine from the red pocket . He ran .
From then on , people knows that “sui” afraid of red .
So parents give their kids“ hong bao红包“ red pocket to protect them from being hurt by the monster “sui “ Later on ,people give families or relatives “hong bao 红包“as good luck ,best wishes .
If “hong bao 红包”is given to the kids,means wish you grow up healthily ,or wish you make progress on your study .
If “hongbao红包“ for friends or grown up , means good luck , wish you make a fortune in the coming year.
If “hong bao 红包“ for someone who is older than you , which means wish you have a healthy long life .
Who are surposed to give out “ hong bao 红包“?
Firstly , As a grown up , who has got married is supposed to give the kids “hong bao 红包” for good luck .
Secondly , For people like me , who is still single , will get the “hong bao红包” from our parents .
Thirdly , The bosses. The bosses give out “hong bao 红包” to their employees .
As a foreigner , have you ever given out or receipted any “hong bao红包 “ in China ?
Yup. At weddings, spring festival, friends having babies and I've given a wad of jiao notes in a hong boa envelope to a young family member back home as a novelty present.
I have, on occasion, been subjected to double standards over the hongbao; especially when I first arrived!
When it's your turn to give them out, you must because it's Chinese tradition! If you're in line to receive one, then you miss out because you are a foreigner.
Doesn't happen to me any more because the locals didn't like my response as to why I stopped giving them out! Now I give and receive on a fairly equal basis!
mike695ca:
Thats soooooooo true. When I first came I never got. I never had to say why, but I guess when you get closer to people around you they consider you the same and dont wanna leave you out.
Yup...given a lot and received a lot too..Mainly at weddings and during spring festival 
I have received them during Chunjie and given at weddings. All with my good Chinese friend's family. I have mostly given more than I receive because I wasn't sure how much to give so I thought it better to give more than too little just in case.
Of course wedding and stuff, but for spring festival. .............Work I dont get, we have to give. Im not the direct boss or anything, so i dont have to pay, but the company pays and i must organize and give. Give to ayis and stuff, my close friends children.
Get... My friends always give to me , which is wierd cuz they shouldnt, but they feel Im left out this time of year, so i always take it and treat them all for dinner.
My wifes family is great. They are too generous about it. Not rich or anything, but they want to treat me the same, so her parents will give me the same and her aunts and uncles will do the same as well. Usually its a couple grand. I feel guilty so usually every year i take her entire family, maybe 30 people out for seafood dinner , and that usually evens things out. Plus makes me look better hahaha
mike695ca:
Why does everyone say that????? Nothing about that answer made me sound chinese!
Yes, I once received 500 Yuan from one parent. He told me it was an apology for his son's bad attitude in the upcoming school year.
well only as a real present, got one, gave one
didnt receive any to be corrupted. I hope i wont because i just dont know what to do. Refusing and accepting both leads to trouble
Of coarse, I attend about 10 weddings a year (my staff). I think I might be a little to generous as other people's staff have started inviting me to their weddings.
sevenyan:
There is a joke heard from my friend, who has to attended so many weddings every year . Since he is not really rich , "hong bao" become a big problem for him. So he came up with an idea to get away from the weddings. Later on , when his friend called him inviting him for the wedding . He told his friend: I am sorry , I feel so embarrassed .I think it'll be better not showing up there. You might not know,I lhave been loving you for years .It's killing me to seeing you got married!
