Chinese New Year: Cash, Charity, and Community

This year, Chinese New Year is on February 14, and it will be my first Chinese New Year as a married woman. That means I will be handing out red envelopes to my unmarried relatives. And for anyone who doesn’t know, these red envelopes contain cash.

There’s actually a lot of form to this tradition, but I don’t really know the rules. And some rules I know, but I don’t understand. For example, in addition to giving cash to unmarried relatives, my husband and I need to give red envelopes to our elders, even though they’re married. This includes our parents. Additionally, it’s not just relatives that should receive red envelopes. It’s freely offered to people we regularly meet — from postal workers to employees. Of course, the amount that is given in these situations is much less than to close relatives.

There’s a lot of cash exchange that occur in Chinese families. I call it the “circle of cash.” It’s a fundamental part of Chinese culture. We give out a lot of cash — on birthdays, weddings, and funerals. We expect that it will come back to us in some form or another. For example, before I was married, I received red envelopes from aunts, uncles, and married cousins.  And now that I’m married, I’ll be giving red envelopes to the children of these people who gave to me when I was younger. It’s not a direct exchange, but it’s the same thing.

In this way, cash builds community among the family. On Chinese New Year, it represents a wish for prosperity. For weddings, it’s etiquette to bring enough to cover the cost of your meal, in addition to the gift portion. For funerals, it’s to help the family pay for expenses. Cash is offered both in celebration and for charity. Even though I’m no longer on the receiving end, I’m very happy to be a part of this tradition.

Happy Chinese New Year!