Fatter red envelopes miss point of tradition (2)

Unsurprisingly, as hongbao grow fatter, many grown-ups complain that the practice is putting too great a strain on their wallets.

In Guangzhou, 500 yuan ($80) is the new minimum for a red envelope, according to the Guangzhou Daily newspaper. For adults with a large number of young relatives and close friends with children, the practice can cost an entire month's salary or more.

Those who feel the drain the most are adults with no children of their own to offset the strain of holiday gift-giving.

"My salary is not high. When I go back to my hometown I have to hand out red envelopes with more money inside than the locals just to gain face for my parents, but it can cost me two months' salary," says a stressed-out migrant worker in Beijing.

Moreover, red envelopes have become associated with bribery and patronage. A retired government official recently complained that his child used to receive thousands of yuan in hongbao every Spring Festival from people seeking favors, "But now, no one visits except for relatives."

The original meaning of the red-envelope ritual was a New Year blessing passed from the older generation to the young; it did not emphasize the amount of money contained inside, says Wang Guiyuan, an arts professor at Renmin University.

Folk culture experts have called for a return to the roots of the Spring Festival tradition and a greater focus on its symbolic meaning – to maintain peace and safety for children.

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