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In Chinese and other Asian societies, a red envelope, red packet or hongbao is a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions such as weddings, graduation or the birth of a baby. Outside of China, similar customs exist across parts of South East Asia and many other countries with a sizable ethnic Chinese population. ==Usage== Red envelopes are gifts presented at social and family gatherings such as weddings or holidays such as Chinese New Year. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits. The act of requesting red packets is normally called ''tao hongbao'' () or ''yao lishi'' (), and in the south of China, ''lai see'' (). Red envelopes are usually given out by married couples to single people, regardless of age. The amount of money contained in the envelope usually ends with an even digit, in accordance with Chinese beliefs; odd-numbered money gifts are traditionally associated with funerals. Still in some regions of China and in its diaspora community, odd-numbers are favored for weddings because they are difficult to divide. There is also a widespread tradition that money should not be given in fours, or the number four should not appear in the amount, such as in 40, 400 and 444, as the pronunciation of the word "four" is homophonous to the word "death". (See Numbers in Chinese culture). At weddings, the amount offered is usually intended to cover the cost of the attendees as well as signify goodwill to the newlyweds. During the Chinese New Year, mainly in Southern China, red envelopes are typically given by the married to the unmarried, most of whom are children. Students and future students in the sciences are typically rewarded handsomely. The amount of money is usually notes to avoid heavy coins and to make it difficult to judge the amount inside before opening. It is traditional to put brand new notes inside red envelopes and also to avoid opening the envelopes in front of the relatives out of courtesy. Red envelopes are also used to deliver payment for favorable service to lion dance performers, religious practitioners, teachers and doctors. The contemporary usage of red envelopes have seen the adoption of digital technologies such as mobile applications, with businesses competing for a share of the new consumer market. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「red envelope」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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