Chinese New Year, known here in China as the Spring Festival (春节, chūn jié), is right around the corner, with many Chinese already returning to their hometowns this week to celebrate with their families. One of the most interesting and well-known 春节 traditions is the 红包 (hóngbāo), literally "red envelope", a gift of money (or occasionally other things) in an often-ornate red envelope given to friends, family, or co-workers. In this week's ChinesePod Weekly, we'll take a relatively pronounical look at (and give you some tips about) this most profitable Chinese New Year's tradition!

Who?

红包, which is known as and pronounced "Lai See" in Cantonese, are traditionally given to two main groups, although in recent years it has become more common to distribute the gifts more widely. Children and younger, unmarried adults have long been the main beneficiaries of the 红包 generousity, as it is believed in some places that giving such gifts to married people is bad luck. There are many, many different specific 红包 traditions and procedures, which can vary quite widely between different Chinese-speaking regions of the world, but in most places it is considered one of the rites and privileges of marriage to give 红包 to unmarried friends or family. These days, in China's modern cities, it is also commonplace to give 红包 to service personnel, like 阿姨 (āyí), 保安 (bǎo'ān) or anyone else who's helped you out over the past year. One of the most crucial rules about giving out 红包 is that if you're married, you must give one to your unmmaried friends and relatives; to not do so is a pretty serious faux pas. Most importantly though, give an especially conspicuous red envelope to the kids, as there's really no better way to get on the parents' good side!

What?

So what exactly are you giving people when you give them a 红包? Well, you're giving them money, of course, but more so you're demonstrating your respect and thoughtfulness - to not give 红包 is a bold statement about dislike or disapproval. There are a few rules to follow: always give an even amount of money, and never, ever give an amount ending in a 4 - there's a serious stigma against the number 4 in Chinese culture. Its pronunciation (sì, 四) is similar to the word for death (sǐ, 死), and this superstition is taken very seriously by some: ChinesePod's office building, for instance, doesn't have a fourth floor (just as some buildings in the West don't have a 13th floor). There really aren't other strict rules regarding amounts to give, which tend to depend heavily on your relationship with the person to whom you're giving the 红包. Close friends and relatives (especially those that live with you) usually get the fatter envelopes, while casual acquaintences may be doomed to a disappointingly light gift.

When?

春节, or the Lunar New Year if you want to get all technical about it, is the most popular time of year to give out 红包, but it's hardly the only time. Weddings in China can net ridiculous amounts in those delightful red envelopes, with one wedding in Harbin (哈尔滨) bringing in some RMB200,000. Birthdays, the birth of a child, purchase of a new house, or other positive life events are also occasion for 红包, a tradition not too different from what's observed in many Western countries. Really, any time you want to celebrate something in China and give someone a nice gift, 红包 is an excellent choice.

Where?

As it is a Chinese cultural tradition, 红包 is most prevalent here in the PRC, but it is also a very common practice in countless places around the world. You'll find a lot of red envelopes (or "red packets", as it's occasionally translated) elsewhere in the Hanyusphere, including Singapore and Malaysia. In Malaysia, in fact, some Muslim residents even celebrate holidays with their own adaptation of 红包, giving green envelopes (绿包(lǜbāo)?) instead of red. 红包 can also be seen in virtually every overseas Chinese community - there's even a bakery in Brooklyn called "Hong Bao Bakery", and many promotional events in Chinatowns the world over are 红包-themed. In short, the 红包 has become one of the foremost symbols of 春节, and even of Chinese culture in general, around the world, in no small part due to it's position as one of the most memorable traditions of the holiday period.

We hope you've enjoyed this week's look at 红包, one of our favorite Chinese New Year traditions! 恭喜发财 everyone! To help celebrate, we're offering some 红包 of our own: cash back on some of our best and most popular products (including our oft-coveted Praxis Passes)! No matter where you are, you can get in the 春节 spirit in the most fun way possible, getting free money