The Lucky Red Envelope Story

Red is a lucky color to the Chinese and is used for decorations during holidays, especially Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. Red is one of the colors in the Yin and Yang symbol. The red portion represents positive energy. Traditional Chinese wedding dresses are red, too!
In the Chinese culture, if a child is alive to celebrate a new year's celebration, the older relatives give that child a red envelope with money inside. The red envelope has positive, good power to protect people from negative or bad power.
Another custom during Chinese New Year, is for married people to give unmarried people a red envelope with money in it. Also, older relatives, such as a grandmother, gives young members of her family a lucky red envelope. In China, it is believed that this red envelope will bring luck to the person who gets it and to the person who gives it. Sometimes the red envelope is called "lay see" or lisee. Giving a Chinese child money is important to Chinese children because they usually do not get spending or pocket money in the form of allowance.