Red packets (红包): money as a gift

✅ Updated May 2026

Red envelopes of cash are given at Chinese New Year, weddings, and birthdays, and digitally through WeChat all year. Red symbolizes luck. Use new, clean bills and lucky amounts (even numbers, plenty of 8s) and avoid anything with 4. Give and receive with both hands. On WeChat, group red packets that split a sum into random amounts are a popular festival game.