Focus

Time for traditional give and take

By Yang Wanli (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-04 10:44

People in Beijing find mixed blessings in the tradition of giving red envelopes during Spring Festival.

After enjoying seven happy days with family and friends during Spring Festival, many young people returned to work to share their "pain", and complain that red envelopes have became an unbearable burden.

For Zhou Wan, a 28-year-old teacher who has worked in Beijing for five years, going back to her hometown in Guangdong during the Chinese Lunar New Year was a heavy drain on her savings. In the first three days of the holiday alone, she had handed out all her year-end bonus as hong bao, or gift money, to the children of relatives and friends.

It is a Chinese tradition that young and middle-aged people should give money to children and elders as a blessing and a token of respect.

"Giving money to relatives as a good wish gesture in my first working year was not bad, but it is painful to do the same thing this year. It seems to be an endless burden for the future," Zhou said.

Zhou revealed that she had given 4,000 yuan ($586) in red envelopes and spent 1,000 yuan buying gifts. "But no one can escape from tradition," she said.

China's biggest Internet portal, sina.com, recently did a survey of more than 1,197 Internet users about people's spending during the Year of Tiger Spring Festival. About 50 percent of those questioned spent 5,000 to 10,000 yuan during the holiday. More than 40 percent gave out red envelopes worth 1,000 to 5,000 yuan. And more than 34 percent chose to buy gifts for relatives. The money was mainly from their year-end bonus. For most young people born in 1980s, the money they spent during the seven-day holiday was likely to be as much as one-month's salary.

Time for traditional give and take

Cheng Xin has only recently graduated and she has worked in Beijing as a consultant for just six months. She agreed that red envelopes seem to be a burden not just for this year but for the future as well.

As a new bride, Cheng said she was fortunate, as the red envelopes she received at her wedding saved her lots of money during the Lunar New Year.

"But I am worried about next year. I will surely 'lose' lots of money. In my hometown, red envelopes not only represent blessings, but they also show your social status and identity," Cheng said.

"A small envelope will make you lose face. That's why my cousins didn't even come back for the Spring Festival," she said.

Her hometown is Wenzhou, a city with high average incomes in the coastal province of Zhejiang. Cheng said some families in Wenzhou would give 10,000 yuan in an envelope and she worried that it would start a trend of giving bigger red envelopes.

While young people complain about the "red burden", red envelopes have become such a heavy burden for migrant workers in the capital, that some choose to avoid returning home for Spring Festival.

Zhang Chunlai, 43 years old, from Henan Province, has made a living by handling materials in a construction site in Tongzhou district in Beijing for two years. He said he didn't go back to his hometown this year, due to the burden of giving relatives hong bao.

"I fell from a building and broke my left leg last year and spent a third of my annual income paying hospital bills. I only earned 1,500 yuan a month and after paying the bills it didn't leave me much to give my parents and other relatives," he said.

However, although some people complain about the pressure of giving red envelopes during the Spring Festival, there are those that are happy that the tradition still continues.

"I have received too much money from my family and relatives over the years. In the past 23 years, they have given me a lot during the Spring Festival. It felt good to be a giver this time," 24-year-old Li Cun said.

This year he used his entire year-end bonus for red envelopes and said his parents gave part of them back.

"They were happy to know I had became a real man who knew his responsibilities to the family," Li said. "In China, giving red envelops to relatives, especially our parents, is like a statement showing your support and love to your family. They don't care how much money you give, but how much you love them."

Wang Shuixiong, an associate professor at Renmin University, said, "in ancient China, people sent food as gifts to relatives and friends as blessings for the holiday. This tradition of giving should be taken only as blessings even in modern times."

It makes no difference whether it is money or food or other gifts, "we should keep the right attitude to giving," he said.

Wang believes it is unnecessary to compare how much money each person gave. "It's better to focus on the essential meaning behind the red envelopes."

Time for traditional give and take

My viewpoint

Cheng Ran, 21, cadet

Time for traditional give and take

The money I got as New Year's presents made a record high this spring. Almost every one of my relatives gave me more than they did last year when I paid visits on them with my mother. From my aunts and uncles, I got 200 yuan ($29) from each of them. My grand parents were even more generous. They gave me 2,000. Altogether I received 4,500 yuan during Spring Festival. I hope it can be more next year. I don't think it is necessary for everyone who has worked to give money to the young. I refused the money my cousin intended to give me since he just started his career. I plan to use the money to dine out at weekends. I already have some enticing restaurant names on my list.

Wang Huan, 22, graduate trainee

Time for traditional give and take

I only got 700 yuan from my relatives during the seven days holiday this year in Jinan, Shandong province, where my sister lives . Half were from my sister, who started work in a factory four years ago, and half from my aunt. I don't think how much money I received as New Year presents matters much, it is the love it conveys. The money from my sister even embarrassed me, because I began to work two months ago and she is not rich . To feel better, I also gave my sister's two-year-old son 50 yuan as a New Year's gift, when he said "Happy New Year" for the first time in his life. Giving money to the young made me feel like a real adult.

Zhang Yuan, 18, student

Time for traditional give and take

I almost got the same amount of money this New Year' as last year, 3,500 yuan. My grand mother gave me, 1000 yuan, other relatives gave about 500 yuan each. It seemed that the amount grew suddenly, the year after I went to high school.

I won't give money to the young in my family, even if I graduate. It is not fair for a young graduate to give money to his or her nephews and nieces if he or she is not rich enough to feed him or herself.

The money I got in the spring festival will cover all my living expenses next semester, including some computer games I dreamed of.

Zhang Yarong, 51, accountant

Time for traditional give and take

I only have to give 1,000 yuan pocket money to my brother's son as a New Year's present, since he is my only nephew who hasn't started to work. In the past I used to give him 600 yuan but after I saw his mother give my daughter 1,000 yuan last year, I decided to give him more this year.

In the 1980s, I didn't give any money to my nephews and nieces as New Years presents. I gave them real presents. Although, I had to spend quite a long time to pick out what they wanted, I thought it deserved the time. They could better express my concern than money. For the young who have just left school, maybe it would be better for them to give presents rather than money.

Zheng Shuying, 81, retired

Time for traditional give and take

I got no money when I was young in the 1920s. We kowtowed to our uncles and aunts, and then got the red packet from them. Within a minute, however, our parents took the money away. At that time, people around me were too poor to really follow the tradition. My parents had to use the money to make up what they gave out.

I don't think my grandsons who have found a job should give money to those who haven't, since they are all kids. As their grandma, I'll give the young lucky money.

Recently, things have changed. My children began to give me lucky money on New Year Eve. The red packet often contains 2,000 or more.

Wang Xiaodong, 25, teacher

Time for traditional give and take

I am willing to give my cousins' children some gift money and I feel satisfied doing so. It also helps to maintain the relationships among relatives. I gave 200 yuan to each of them this Spring Festival and some of my friends' kids. I go back home once a year and by doing this I can always feel happy to see their smiling faces.