Take stock of how much New Year’s money is given in various countries around the world

Take stock of how much New Year’s money is given in various countries around the world

This year’s Spring Festival, many people have discovered that as prices rise, New Year’s money is also “priced at a lower price”. The one or two hundred yuan a few years ago is basically out of reach now, and the red envelopes given out that easily cost thousands of yuan also make people born in the 70s and 80s complain endlessly. The reporter found that in addition to China, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore and other countries also have the tradition of giving out red envelopes. Vietnam is even suffering from rising red envelopes. Only in Singapore, New Year's money still maintains the tradition of bringing good luck. Two yuan can make children happy.

China

New Year's money is bullish

Foreign media said Chinese parents are "under great pressure"

The "Washington Post" observed that for China For children born in the 1990s and even the 2000s, compared with previous years, their New Year’s resolutions have changed significantly this year. Valuable electronic products have become their new favorites. "Which parent can resist the strong demands of their children?" the article said. As Chinese parents become richer and richer, the children's New Year's money is also increasing year by year. It can range from a few hundred yuan to tens of thousands of yuan. According to statistics from some parents, total red envelopes spent during the Spring Festival range from 6,000 to 10,000 yuan, which is equivalent to one to two months' salary of some working-class people.

It makes the children happy and makes the parents miserable. Regarding this phenomenon, foreign media said that there is a popular word in China now - huge pressure.

The Malaysian "Star" website also noticed that many Chinese children prefer to receive an iPad as a New Year gift during the Chinese New Year. The article interestingly said, "Compared with lucky money, this is more practical. Of course, It also makes the elders feel more distressed."

Vietnam

New Year's money has also "changed its taste"

The same trouble as China

In the past, Vietnamese people usually give their children lucky money in small denominations during the Chinese New Year. However, with the development of the economy, Vietnamese people also have the same problem as Chinese people that the lucky money has changed.

In Vietnam, giving lucky money originally meant threading copper coins, tying them with red thread into the shape of a dragon or a sword, and placing them at the foot of the child's bed or pillow to scare away monsters and monsters and allow the child to sleep peacefully. Later, lucky money evolved into sending red envelopes in the New Year, which means it can bring joy and luck to people.

In fact, this custom is likely to have come from China: the Vietnamese word "lixi" for lucky money is derived from the word "lixi" in southern China.

In the past, elders did not give much New Year's money to their children. They gave them a symbolic amount of 500 or 1,000 VND (1 yuan is equivalent to 3,300 VND). Sometimes, if they did not give money, they would give them a piece of candy. But as the economy develops, people give more and more lucky money.

According to the current market situation in Vietnam, depending on the closeness of the personal relationship, the New Year's money generally ranges from 5,000 to 100,000 VND. Originally, the New Year's money given by elders to their children was a reflection of their best wishes for their children, but now it has become a burden.

The Vietnamese website introduced this joke: A rural woman’s brother is an official in the city. Every year on the second day of the Lunar New Year, she sends her children to visit her uncle’s house in order to get some lucky money. One year, he actually got back 3 million VND, which was more than his income from farming in a year.

Vietnamese experts therefore call on children to be guided to correctly understand the meaning of lucky money, use lucky money rationally, and let this traditional custom play a positive role.

Singapore

Ranges from 2 to 10 Singapore dollars

Don’t compare money with numbers

Singapore’s economy is developed, but when it comes to New Year’s money On the contrary, he is the stingiest. Singaporeans visit their homes to pay New Year greetings and give out lucky money. However, the "red envelopes" distributed by Singaporean parents to their children are large in quantity but light in weight. The objects they give are children and unmarried young men and women. As long as the other party comes to pay New Year greetings, they will receive "red envelopes".

However, when you open the "red envelope", you may only draw out one or two new coins with a face value of two Singapore dollars (one yuan equals 0.2 Singapore dollars), or at most ten Singapore dollars (usually even numbers), less than RMB fifty. However, the children don't mind, because the children "compete" with each other to see how many "red envelopes" they got, not how much New Year's money you got.

In the eyes of Singaporeans, the role of "red envelopes" is only to give children a festive atmosphere and increase the warmth of the family, which is what distinguishes them from other festivals.

Japan

Economic recession

Least New Year's money in 15 years

Although Japanese children can also receive New Year's money, they are affected by the Japanese economy. Affected by the recession, New Year's money will be greatly reduced this year.

According to the "Kyoto Shimbun" report on the 27th, the results of the "2012 New Year's Money Survey" released by Japan's Kyoto Central Credit Bank on the 26th showed that due to the sluggish Japanese economy, many families even had less income for the whole year. The budget is in deficit, so this year, Japanese children received an average of 35,661 yen (approximately RMB 2,926) in lucky money, which was 525 yen less than last year’s average and the smallest amount since 1997.

The survey was conducted from January 4th to 6th, with approximately 1,173 people from preschoolers to high school students participating.

As for how and where to spend New Year’s money, Japan’s “Mainichi Shimbun” specially conducted a survey. The first place is “buying games”; the second place is “saving”; and the third place is “buying games”. The first place is "buying books", but the fourth place is "buying toys" with a ratio of 11.0, a decrease of 6.3 from last year.

In addition, affected by the economic downturn, Japanese gangster groups took the opportunity to infiltrate their own influence by giving out lucky money.

According to Japan's "Tokyo Shimbun" report, Japanese gangster groups will hold routine activities such as rice cake conventions at the end of the year to distribute lucky money to ordinary citizens.

The New Year's money ranges from 10,000 yen to 30,000 yen (10,000 yen is about RMB 750). The name of the leader of the gangster group is written on the envelope of the New Year's money. Interestingly, many middle school students rushed away when they heard that they were getting lucky money. Such actions have attracted the attention of Japanese police.

South Korea

New Year’s money for foreign exchange

Beautiful and value-preserving

Koreans celebrate the Lunar New Year, paying special attention to the "sacrifice and rituals" on the first day of the year "New Year's Worship" ceremony. After the ceremony, the younger generation should kowtow to their parents and other elders to pay New Year greetings, and the elders should give lucky money to the younger generation.

Perhaps it is the unique characteristic of rich countries. Koreans’ New Year’s money is the same as that of Singaporeans, which is not much. Generally speaking, children in elementary school are given 5,000 to 10,000 won (1 yuan is about 178 won); junior high school students are given 10,000 to 20,000 won; high school students are given 20,000 to 30,000 won.

However, due to rising prices and poor economic conditions in recent years, Koreans are also facing the trouble of receiving lucky money. However, the Koreans' countermeasures were more innovative.

A bank in South Korea launched "Foreign Exchange Lucky Money". This kind of "foreign exchange lucky money" is divided into 3 sets, consisting of 3 to 5 banknotes in 5 currencies: US dollar, RMB, Euro, Canadian dollar and Australian dollar. The styles are rich and colorful, and the most expensive one is only 48,500. won, which is very popular among parents.

Some parents believe that this kind of foreign exchange lucky money can not only allow children to understand exchange rate knowledge, but also foreign currency has a certain collection value, which can be said to serve multiple purposes.

Background information

Where does the custom of "New Year's money" come from?

There are many theories about how "New Year's money" came about. One of them believes that it originated from an accident in the Northern Song Dynasty.

According to the historical record "Historical Records", during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, on the night of the Spring Festival one year, Nanbi, the youngest son of Wang Shao, the deputy privy envoy (deputy prime minister) of the imperial court at that time, followed his elders in Bianliang (today's Bianliang). I was enjoying watching lanterns on the street in Kaifeng, Henan Province. Unexpectedly, it was snatched away by gangsters.

The gangster was planning to blackmail Wang Shao for a sum of money, but on the way to escape, the clever Nan Mei shouted for help after seeing a passing car. The gangster quickly put down Nanbi and fled in a hurry. Later, Song Shenzong learned the ins and outs of this incident and gave Nan Mi some money to calm his shock.

After this incident spread among the people, people followed Song Shenzong's approach one after another. During the New Year, in addition to buying firecrackers and food for the children, they also gave the children some pocket money to calm their fright. Call it "lucky money".

It is said in "Qing Jia Lu": "When the young are old, the elders give the children a hundred coins decorated with red ropes, which is called lucky money." This means that adults should give it to their children during the Spring Festival. Hundreds of copper coins threaded on a red string are called "lucky money".