Red Envelopes

By Stephanie Lee (Grade 11)

Every year, my family celebrates the Lunar New Year, which is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. This symbolizes a fresh start and new beginnings, just like the traditional New Year celebration. However, there is a big emphasis on luck and good fortune. There are a lot of cultural and unique customs that my family practices during this time of year: this includes wearing red and gold (lucky colors), not cleaning the house the week before (so that we don’t “sweep” away the good luck), eating moon cakes, running through the house yelling “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới” and “Kung Hei Fat Choy” (expressions of good luck in Vietnamese and Cantonese), attending festivals with dragon dancers, etc. But the most important tradition for me is the passing out of red envelopes. 

Red envelopes are little red packets filled with money: my family calls them “Li Xi” which means luck in Vietnamese. Each envelope is filled with money! All the children take turns kneeling before our elders and reciting our hopes for them for the year: this will include wishing them good health, happiness, prosperity, etc. The elders will then recite their hopes for the children and give them the red envelopes. To me, this tradition symbolizes a sense of respect, support, and love within our family. It fosters an environment where everyone is able to vocalize their feelings for one another, which I really appreciate.