A Red Packet, or Hong Bao in Mandarin is a red envelope with money in it. It is a monetary gift which is given during Chinese New Year or special occasions such as a Chinese wedding ceremony. They are handed out to the younger generation by their parents, grandparents, relatives and even close friends. Sometimes a red packet is also called a yāsuì qián (壓歲錢) which means ‘pressed money’.

Previously, red packets are decorated with lucky symbols, which often symbolises luck and wealth. Red colour symbolises good luck. Red packets usually come in square or rectangular, but as we are now moving towards a modern era, red packets now are designed with various cartoons and characters and often they come in various sizes and patterns.

The squarish traditional red packets.

The ‘modernised’ red packets. Seen here are Winnie The Pooh and Doremon.