Chinese Spring Festival Folk Custom: New Year’s Eve (New Year’s Money, Red Packet)

Preface: Pressing the New Year’s Eve is a Chinese New Year’s Day folk custom in which adults wrap money in red paper for children to express their blessings, which is Pressing the New Year’s Eve money also known as red envelopes. Did you know? Initially, New Year’s money did not refer to coins.

压Yā岁suì是shì中zhōng国guó年nián俗sú ， 又yòu称chēng压yā祟suì ， 意yì思sī是shì辟bì邪xié驱qū鬼guǐ ， 保bǎo佑yòu平píng安ān 。
Ya sui (压岁，Pressing the New Year’s Eve)Pressing the New Year’s Eve is a Chinese New Year custom, also known as Ya sui (压祟driving away evil spirits), meaning to ward off evil spirits and bring peace.

压Yā岁suì钱qián是shì年nián俗sú中zhōng的de一yī个gè物wù品pǐn ， 代dài表biǎo了le中zhōng国guó劳láo动dòng人rén民mín的de美měi好hǎo愿yuàn望wàng ， 希xī望wàng驱qū邪xié 、 避bì灾zāi 、 祈qí福fú 。
Ya Sui Qian (压岁钱，Pressing the New Year’s Eve money) is one of the items in the New Year customs, representing the good wishes of Chinese working people for driving away evil, avoiding disasters, and praying for blessings.

古Gǔ时shí候hòu有yǒu一yī种zhǒng妖yāo怪guài叫jiào “ 祟suì ”， 喜xǐ欢huān在zài年nián三sān十shí晚wǎn上shàng摸mō孩hái子zi的de头tóu ， 被bèi摸mō的de孩hái子zi会huì变biàn傻shǎ 。
In ancient times, there was a monster called “Sui (祟) ” that liked to touch children’s heads on New Year’s Eve, and the touched children would become fools.

一Yī对duì老lǎo夫fū妇fù用yòng 8 枚méi铜tóng钱qián保bǎo护hù孩hái子zi ， 当dāng “ 祟suì ” 来lái时shí ， 铜tóng钱qián发fā光guāng ， 吓xià跑pǎo了le妖yāo怪guài 。
An old couple used eight copper coins to protect their child. When “Sui” came, the coins emitted light and scared away the monster.

人Rén们men认rèn为wéi铜tóng钱qián是shì八bā仙xiān的de化huà身shēn ， 保bǎo护hù孩hái子zi ， 因yīn “ 祟suì ” 与yǔ “ 岁suì ” 同tóng音yīn ， 后hòu来lái称chēng “ 守shǒu祟suì ” 为wéi “ 守shǒu岁suì ”。
People believed that the copper coins were the incarnations of the Eight Immortals protecting the child. Because “Sui” and “Sui” are homophones, later people called “guarding against Sui” as “staying up late on New Year’s Eve”.

大Dà年nián三sān十shí晚wǎn上shàng ， 家jiā长zhǎng会huì给gěi孩hái子zi铜tóng钱qián ， 祈qí求qiú平píng安ān 。
On New Year’s Eve, parents would give their children copper coins to pray for peace.

压Yā岁suì钱qián最zuì初chū是shì用yòng来lái镇zhèn恶è驱qū邪xié的de ， 不bù是shì流liú通tōng货huò币bì ， 而ér是shì一yī种zhǒng装zhuāng饰shì品pǐn 。
Initially, Ya Sui Qian was used to ward off evil spirits, not as currency in circulation, but as an ornament.

最Zuì早zǎo的de压yā岁suì钱qián出chū现xiàn在zài汉hàn代dài ， 后hòu来lái逐zhú渐jiàn演yǎn变biàn为wéi春chūn节jié长zhǎng辈bèi给gěi小xiǎo孩hái的de压yā岁suì钱qián 。
The earliest Ya Sui Qian appeared during the Han Dynasty, and later gradually evolved into the custom of elders giving Yaxue money to children during the Spring Festival.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!