9 Months of Service
Don’t be ridiculous, silly goose. The color red symbolizes good luck, happiness, and protection. It’s meant to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity to the recipient.Is it blood money? After all the envelope is red.
Be cautious though, some Chinese people practice what’s called ghost marriage. In certain rituals, red envelopes are offered publicly to symbolically marry off a deceased child, honoring their spirit because they fear the child will die lonely.
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So if you see a red envelope on the street, don’t pick it up. The parents might be in hiding, waiting to ambush you, and taking it could be seen as consenting to a ghost marriage, which, in practice, is unconsensual. But, you know… some older Chinese folks can be pushy.