Weddings in China often involve large banquets, sometimes with hundreds of guests. In a way, wedding receptions often appear more like fundraisers than an intimate ceremony for family and friends. It seems even more so when one considers that all the guests in attendance are socially obligated to give 红包 (hóngbāo), a red envelope full of money. It can be such a burden for guests that it's often called 红色炸弹 (hóngsèzhàdàn), "the red bomb".