The Red Envelopes as a Gift in Other Cultures

Similar customs also exist in other countries in Asia. In Vietnam, red envelopes are called lì xì (similar to the Cantonese pronunciation “lai see”) or, in some cases, phong bao mừng tuổi (happy new age envelope). In Thailand, they are known as ang pow (the pronunciation of the Chinese characters for “red envelope” in the Hokkien/Fukien dialect) or tae ea among the Chinese-Thai. In Myanmar (Burma), the Burmese Chinese refer to them as an-pao (Burmese: ), and South Korea’s envelopes are called “sae bae ton” and the envelopes are white, not red.

In Japan, a monetary gift called otoshidama is given to children by their relatives during the New Year period. However, white envelopes are used instead, with the name of the receiver written on its obverse. A similar practice is observed for Japanese weddings, but the envelope is folded rather than sealed, and decorated with an elaborate bow.

In the Philippines, Chinese Filipinos exchange ang pao (from the Hokkien pronunciation, as most Chinese in the Philippines are of Hokkien descent) during the Chinese New Year. For non-Chinese Filipinos, ang pao is an easily recogniseable symbol of the Lunar New Year holiday and in some places, the envelopes are also appropriated by non-Chinese in giving monetary gifts on other occasions such as Christmas and birthdays.

The Malay Muslims in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore have adapted the Chinese custom of handing out red packets as part of their Eid ul-Fitr (“Hari Raya Aidilfitri” in the Malay language) celebrations by issuing token gifts of money in green packets to family and friends. The reason behind the green color is its association with Islam, and the adaptation of the custom is based on the obligatory Islamic duty of zakat (charity) that requires Muslims to provide at least 2.5% of their income to the needy.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_packet

See Also : Flowers India, Birthday Flowers, Flowers Gifts