From Superstition to Tradition: The Folk Origins of Red Envelopes

The vibrant red envelopes exchanged during Chinese New Year celebrations today carry a history as rich as their crimson hue. These iconic packets of goodwill trace their origins to ancient folk beliefs about protecting children from supernatural harm. According to popular legend, a mythical creature called “Sui” – described as black-bodied with white hands – would haunt households on New Year’s Eve, bringing illness to children. To ward off this malevolent spirit, families developed a protective ritual involving eight copper coins wrapped in red paper.

This practice combined several potent symbolic elements. The number eight represented the Eight Immortals (a concept solidified during the Yuan Dynasty), while red paper served as a traditional color of protection in Chinese culture. These coin-filled packets were placed under children’s pillows as they slept, with family members keeping vigil throughout the night – a practice that gave rise to both the “ya sui qian” (压岁钱, money to suppress Sui) tradition and the “shou sui” (守岁, guarding against Sui) custom of staying awake on New Year’s Eve.

By the Qing Dynasty, as recorded in the “Yanjing Suishiji” (燕京岁时记), these protective charms had evolved into more elaborate forms. People would thread coins with colorful strings, arranging them in dragon shapes placed at the foot of beds. What began as supernatural protection gradually transformed into a beloved cultural tradition where elders gifted these decorative coins to children as New Year’s blessings.

The Han to Tang Dynasty: Protective Charms Become Imperial Gifts

The earliest precursors to red envelopes appeared during the Han Dynasty as “yansheng coins” – special ceremonial currency never intended for actual commerce. These coins, referenced in the “Book of Han” (汉书), served as talismans bearing inscriptions like “peace under heaven” or “eternal prosperity,” often accompanied by imagery of dragons, phoenixes, or constellations. Unlike standard circular coins, many yansheng coins took rectangular or other symbolic shapes, believed to possess greater protective power against evil influences.

The Tang Dynasty witnessed the red envelope tradition ascending to imperial circles with a surprising twist – skincare. During the Laba Festival (腊八节), emperors would gift noble officials luxurious red packages containing high-end beauty products from the palace workshops. These included:

– “Mianzhi” (面脂): A moisturizing cream similar to modern cold cream
– Colored snow creams (“zixue” purple snow, “bixue” jade snow, “hongxue” red snow)
– “Kouzhi” (口脂): Luxurious lip balms and tints
– “Zaodou” (澡豆): Medicated cleansing beans that functioned as ancient facial scrubs

The Tang court also popularized “sanqian” (散钱), a festive money-tossing game where palace ladies would wager specially minted coins during spring celebrations, as recorded in Wang Renyu’s “Miscellaneous Records of the Kaiyuan and Tianbao Eras” (开元天宝遗事).

Song Dynasty Commerce and the Rise of “Lishi” Envelopes

The commercial boom of the Song Dynasty transformed red envelope customs to reflect the period’s economic vibrancy. The term “lishi” (利市) emerged, referring to auspicious cash gifts given not just during holidays but at weddings, business openings, and other celebratory occasions. These envelopes often contained something revolutionary – paper money.

Song texts like “Shilin Guangji” (事林广记) describe wedding scenes where guests demanded lishi envelopes from grooms, mirroring modern door-game traditions. The “Wulin Jiushi” (武林旧事) records how during Lantern Festival celebrations, officials would distribute “chujuan” (楮券) paper currency to small vendors as auspicious gifts – these being the famous “huizi” (会子) bills introduced in 1161.

The lishi tradition revealed three key cultural values:
1) The amount mattered less than the auspicious intention
2) Good fortune should be shared among all present
3) Both metal and paper currency carried symbolic weight

While this practice faded in most regions after the Song Dynasty, it persisted in Lingnan (southern China) and experienced a revival in modern times.

Qing Dynasty Extravagance: Imperial Gift-Giving as Performance of Power

The Qing court elevated red envelope customs into spectacular displays of imperial generosity and hierarchy. Emperor Qianlong’s poem “Presenting New Year’s Gifts” describes the exquisite “sui sui ping an” (岁岁平安) embroidery pouches given to officials – still preserved in the Palace Museum today. These red silk pouches featured quails (symbolizing harmony) and vases of wheat (representing abundance), containing:

– Gold and silver ingots
– Seven gold and eight silver “babao” (八宝, eight treasures) charms
– Auspicious coins
– Jade pieces
– The emperor’s handwritten “fu” (福, blessing) character

The Qing gift system meticulously reflected social status:

– Princes received sheep, pigs, fish, wine, and tea
– Commandery princes got slightly smaller versions
– Mongolian nobles were gifted sable furs
– Officials took home robes, venison, and dried goods
– Even palace servants received pheasants and fish
– Foreign envoys were given winter clothing sets

Wealthy households like the Jia family in “Dream of the Red Chamber” commissioned elaborate “kezi” (锞子) – decorative gold and silver ingots shaped like flowers, ingots, or auspicious symbols – for their gift exchanges. The novel describes how Madam You had 153 taels of gold碎片 melted into 220 decorative kezi in shapes of plum blossoms, crabapples, and “ruyi” scepters.

From Imperial Courts to Modern Wallets: The Democratization of a Tradition

By the Republican era, red envelopes had simplified but retained their symbolic weight. The “hundred coins on a colorful string” tradition endured, representing longevity, while silver dollars symbolized prosperity. Today’s digital red envelopes maintain this cultural DNA – less about the monetary value than the human connection.

The evolution of Chinese red envelopes mirrors broader social transformations: from folk superstition to imperial ritual, from metal coins to paper currency, from physical pouches to digital transfers. Yet throughout these changes, the core purpose remains unchanged – conveying care, forging connections, and expressing hopes for shared prosperity. As we tap smartphones to send virtual hongbao today, we participate in a tradition stretching back through dynasties, carrying forward the human warmth at the heart of this crimson custom.