Tradition of red envelopes.

When I was a child, the highlight of celebrating Lunar New Year comes when my parents give me a red envelope! The color red symbolizes good fortune, and the Chinese characters adorning the envelope wish the children such things as prosperity, good luck and health. The amount of money given can vary greatly, but it must add up to an even number because the odd numbers are considered unlucky in Chinese.

Some of young people remain eligible to receive red envelopes until they begin working or get married. For me, I gave red envelopes to my parents when I started to work, but I can still receive it from my parents until I get married.

Although traditions vary from family to family, the red envelopes are full of blessings!