Learn about customs Celebrate the age of Tet

On the first day of the New Year of the Lunar New Year, people often have a habit of celebrating the age of children. So why is this custom and the meaning of celebrating age?

Giving money to celebrate the old age at the beginning of the year, or on holidays, is a common custom in East Asian countries. This custom was popular in Vietnam for a long time on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, called lucky money. On New Year days, adults often give children a small amount of money, put in the red envelope with beautiful patterns, often meaning to symbolize luck and fortune, known as happy money.

This custom originated in China, it is said that in the old days, there was a big peach tree in Dong Hai, there were a lot of demons living in the trees, crystal glass, mouse, old wolf . They always wanted to go out. to harm, but normally there are elves in the lower world who guard them so no one escapes.

But until New Year's Eve, all elves must return to heaven to reassign the mission, so the elves have the opportunity to freely take on the task of transferring the gods. On that occasion, there is a kind of youkai who often appear on New Year's Eve to rub the head of a sleeping child, startling the children, crying and screaming and will be sick with a high fever or silly. So families with young children have to stay up all night to watch out for their beloved children. Once, there were some fairies passing by the other house, turning into coins lying beside the child. Their parents put those coins in red cloth. When the demons come, the coins flash, it scares away. This miracle spread, then every New Year, people put money in red bags for children. That money is called happy money.

Tien celebrates the age of the beginning of the year, and has the meaning to symbolize health, luck, success .

Another legend has it that, giving away money to celebrate the age of origin comes from the royal palace (China). That year, Duong Quy Phi gave birth to the prince, and was glad that the king personally visited and gave Duong Quy Phi some gold and silver wrapped in red paper. Duong Quy Phi considered it both a happy money and a Emperor's charm to give children to exorcise. This was rumored to come out, from the court spread to the folk, many people imitated giving money and also began to consider donating fortune except disaster, bringing many lucky things for children.

According to other studies, the happy age in China came from the Qin life. At that time, people used a red thread to draw money into a dragon-shaped string or a sword to hold the foot of the bed or the edge of a children's pillow. The money is called the Tue money like the Chinese people today, which means that the money for the child is happy, with the wish that the child can get the money, the fortune can surpass that age with good things. and luck.

Formerly, in China, the money of happiness is often a red circle of 100 coins of copper coins, expressing the wish of living a hundred years old.Today, money is celebrated at the beginning of the year, it also has the meaning of health, luck, and success, it is put into the envelope with red paper or red velvet cloth, there are decorations that bring happiness, happiness and happiness. Wishes, peace, prosperity like "Peace of peace", "Kim Ngoc Chuc path", "Great as you want". . Therefore, giving money to the monk is also known as giving Hong Bao.

The word "lì xì" in Vietnamese, commonly used in the South, is believed to originate from Chinese, is a reading of "advantage" or "advantage" (pronounced in Mandarin dialect is li shi, according to Cantonese voice, is lucky money, meaning that the original is an item or money that brings benefits, good luck, good luck. Offering lucky money is to give money to show the good and good luck for the child.

Today, to celebrate the age of being more open, especially those who are young but married, have income, they can be happy for seniors such as parents, grandparents .

In Vietnam, happy age is only coins left in the envelope of cashew pink paper, or eye-catching gold decorations that adults donate to children during Tet. When you get lucky money, you will laugh and your laughter can ward off bad things. So happy age also means good luck, blessing in the new year.

According to customary practices in some localities, young people do not celebrate the age of the older people, because they are both not meaningful and are considered "mixed". However, today, to celebrate the age of being more open, especially those who are young but married, have income, they can be happy for seniors like parents, grandparents, to bless Good luck, health, peace. In the early morning of a New Year or "Chinh Dan" day , all activities stopped, the children gathered at the patriarch's house to celebrate the ancestors' wishes for their grandparents, the parents and the happy parents. As a rule, every new year, including adults and children, each person naturally increases by one year. Adults "celebrate the age" of children in a specific way by new co-founders in the "envelope". Money to celebrate the age received on New Year is called "Money for opening goods". There was also a precedent for pioneering money with an odd amount of money (not even money), implying that this money would multiply more and more.