Popular Culture Review
Chen (1996) comments that the amount of money a person puts inside a
red packet totally “depends on how close [they] are to the recipients or their family”
(p. 3). But the important question is whether it should be the only criterion for
people to value a red packet and the only focus of this tradition and custom. If
people judge the degree of love and closeness of relations only according to the
amount of money inside a red packet, the initial meaning of the tradtion has been
distorted and/or destroyed. The original idea of the money as a means, without any
concern for amount, of expressing the love and concern of senior family members
for their descendents would thus become a gauge to compare and contrast degrees
of love and closeness of relationships.
Evolving Meanings of the Red Packet Exchange
Welch (1997) points out that presenting red packets is “an exchange
activity” — you give me how much I will/should return the same to you. So, the
modem rules of the giving of red packets depends on 'how much you gave my
children last year’ (Chen, 1996: 3). As mentioned earlier, the practice of giving the
packets began as a means of conveying good wishes and blessings to younger
family members. When a father
ya-sui-qian under his children’s pillows or
gives red packets to his children, he does not expect anything in return from his
children. In the past, parents presenting red packets to children would add some
words, such as “To grow strong and healthy,” “To be a good man,” or “To be
clever and hard working in study.” This kind of encouragement and blessing was
the only expectation from the senior family members — the red packet givers.
Although the sentiments expressed in these notes are still important in
many Chinese families, the present practice of giving red packets seldom reflects
them. The contempoary practice only functions as an exchange of goods (money)
on the New Year. When giving red packets to a friend’s child, the most important
thing to remember is the number of children the friend has, and not the tradition of
bestowing wishes and blessings.
The changing concept of exchanging of red packets also affects how
children view the senior family members’of their own families. Nearly all of the
parents presenting red packets to their children these days still do not expect a
return from them. However, many children focus upon the amount of money given
to them. They think the traditional meaning of the red packets, as well as other
New Year activities, is outdated. They value the red packets in a quantitative manner,
associating the degree of love with the amount of money that they receive (Hong
Kong Federation of Youth Groups, 1984).
In our modern, technological world, young people seldom believe red
packets can actually bring them luck (Fan & Shang, 1988). However, most still
like red packets and see seniors’ presenting red packets as a must. Because of