In traditional Chinese culture, the Spring Festival is one of the most important festivals, and the New Year's money is one of the most distinctive customs during the Spring Festival. New Year's money, also known as red envelopes, is a kind of blessing and care given by the elders to the younger generations, implying the expectations and blessings of the elders for the younger generations. So, in ancient times, how did the ancients give out red envelopes?
In ancient times, the New Year's money was called "winning money", also called "spending money", which is a non-circulating currency, that is, it looks like a coin and cannot be spent, and it is cast with auspicious words or auspicious patterns. This custom originated in the Han Dynasty, before the Spring Festival, adults would tie a few coins with red thread and put them next to the child's pillow, meaning to ward off evil spirits and protect the child from the New Year. The red line symbolizes auspiciousness and happiness, implying that the child's life will be prosperous and happy.
For example, this Qing Dynasty "winning money", the front is cast with "many sons and many grandchildren", and the back is "Wei Xiong Weizhen", praying for the prosperity of children and grandchildren, the prosperity of people, and the courage and perseverance of future generations. Some people also joked about this, Wei Xiong Wei, did the term "bear child" come from this?
With the passage of time, the form of distribution of New Year's money has gradually changed. In the Tang Dynasty, New Year's money was gradually replaced by currency that could be circulated, and people began to wrap copper coins in red paper, forming the prototype of modern red envelopes. The red color of the red paper symbolizes festivity and good luck, implying that life will be full of joy and happiness in the new year. And the New Year's money wrapped in red paper has gradually become one of the most distinctive customs during the Spring Festival.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the forms of New Year's money were more diverse, in addition to copper coins wrapped in red paper, there were also New Year's coins made of gold and silver, and even New Year's coins made of jewelry, jade and other valuables. These New Year's money not only has the meaning of blessing, but also has become a symbol of wealth and status.
Detail of "Hundred Sons".
In many traditional Chinese paintings, the elements of "New Year's red envelopes" are embodied. For example, items symbolizing wealth and good luck such as red envelopes and ingots appear on the screen of the "Year of the Dynasty", implying blessings and prayers for the New Year. In some of the "Hundred Sons", children can be seen holding red envelopes or playing related games, such as "bun dolls", which vividly show the scenes of ancient children's New Year. "December Order" is a group of Chinese paintings drawn by Qing Dynasty painters, among which the Chinese New Year picture on the first day of the first lunar month reflects the elements of red envelope culture, such as children playing games related to red envelopes.
Shang Detang hand-painted nine fish picture
In fact, on the eve of the Chinese New Year, in addition to the traditional "winning money", people will also give various auspicious items to the younger generation, such as goldfish, lotus flowers and copper coins, which symbolize wealth, luck and growth. In addition, there are also those clothes embroidered with auspicious motifs, such as dragons, phoenixes, lotus flowers, etc., each with its own unique auspicious meaning. These customs are still passed down today, for example, the Nine Fish Chart, which symbolizes wealth and auspiciousness, is suitable for families with students, means praying for academic success, and it also represents the prosperity of the family by hanging it at home.
尚得堂手写家训《诸葛亮诫子书》
Giving books and words is also an ancient affair and tradition. For example, the widely circulated poem "Read more than 10,000 volumes, write like a god" was inscribed by Du Fu when he gave a friend a book. The daughters of literati and writers would also include books in their dowries. In modern times, some cultural families have purchased some famous family motto books to give to their children, with the intention of nurturing their cultural heritage and strengthening their spiritual qualities of self-discipline and self-improvement.
With the passage of time, the New Year money has become rooted in the Chinese Spring Festival tradition and has become an important part of the New Year's flavor. The deep affection and good wishes conveyed by the ancients through the distribution of red envelopes and the exchange of auspicious ornaments constitute a precious part of our rich and colorful traditional culture. Let us look forward to every Spring Festival full of New Year's flavor, so that this profound traditional culture will bloom in our hearts, continue to multiply and grow, and pass on from generation to generation.