Red is the symbol of luck, which explains why “lucky money” is placed in red envelopes

The week-long Tet usually falls around late January or early February (this year on January 22). With most people off work, it is a time for family reunions, festivals and celebrations. The Vietnamese still practice many generations’ old customs on this special occasion, like honoring ancestors’ spirits, visiting and exchanging New Year wishes with relatives, neighbors and friends, and giving small amounts of “lucky money” to children and elders.

Giving “lucky money” to children and elders on Lunar New Year Holiday is a cultural tradition

The custom stems from an ancient tale about a married couple who waited for decades to have a child, until a son was born. However, there was a devil which always came on New Year’s Eve and loved to touch children’s heads while they slept, making them sick. One day, some gods passed by the family house and knew that the devil would come to harm the couple’s son that night. To protect the child, the gods turned into coins and let the child’s mother stuff them inside a piece of red paper that she put beside her child’s pillow. That night, the devil came, but it was scared away by the glittering coins and could not touch the child or harm him. The story spread and people started to put a little money into red envelopes to give to kids.

Nowadays, people give "lucky money” not only to children but also to students or others unable to make a living, as well as to elders and people they respect.

Although the custom has changed somewhat, “lucky money” maintains its valuable meaning as a wish of good things to anyone they love.