hong bao

hong bao (plural hong bao or hong baos)

1. Alternative form of hongbao
   • 1980, B. Michael Frolic, “Notes ”, in Mao’s People: Sixteen Portraits of Life in Revolutionary China, Cambridge, Mass., London: Harvard University Press, →ISBN, note 8, page 269:

     In the old days gifts of money were given to children by the older generation and were placed in red envelopes called hong bao. This practice has been discouraged by the Communists because it perpetuates "feudal-capitalist consciousness," the worship of wealth and money.

   • 1988 January–February, Suzanne L. Murphy, “Island Hopping: Singapore’s Chingay Parade: Music, Muscle and Make-Believe”, in Nancy Zimmerman, editor, Islands: An International Magazine, Santa Barbara, Calif.: Islands Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 79, column 1:

     New Year's Eve is the traditional date for reunion dinners, but relatives and old friends enjoy getting together for feasting and entertainment throughout the entire holiday season. Gift giving is another time-honored custom still widely practiced among Singapore's Chinese. Hong bao, or "lucky money," is by far the favored item, bestowed in bright red envelopes by married family members upon the young and single.

   • 1997, Douglas D. Daye, “Ethnic Profile: The Chinese”, in A Law Enforcement Sourcebook of Asian Crime and Cultures: Tactics and Mindsets, Boca Raton, Fla., New York, N.Y.: CRC Press, →ISBN, page 190:

     After extensive negotiations, and at the arrival of the groom at the bride's house, the groom is usually admitted only after he offers a red envelope (hong bao) containing money in multiples of 99 or 999. Those numbers symbolize a long, happy marriage.