Li xi: where the word comes from, what the red envelope means, and why the amount is not the point
Li xi is the Vietnamese New Year custom of giving lucky money in red envelopes. This article explains the origin of the term and its true meaning.
Results for "red envelope"
The Red Brocade in Traditional Costumes of the Red Dao People
Explore the meaning of red, crafting techniques, differences in men's and women's attire, and the cultural value of traditional Red Dao costumes.
How do lì xì and mừng tuổi differ between the North, Huế and the South of Vietnam?
Mừng tuổi and lì xì are one Tết custom with two names: the northern term, the southern Cantonese loanword, and practices recorded in Huế and the old South.
First-footing for the 2027 Year of the Goat: how to choose an age, and why every household ends up with a different list
For Lunar New Year 2027, there is no single correct first-footer list. Compare the trine and six-harmony groups, the host's age and the guest's character.
New Year gift-giving among the Tày and Nùng and lì xì among the Hoa: what is distinctive?
New Year gift-giving among the Tày and Nùng of Cao Bằng and Hà Giang and lì xì in a Hoa family in Chợ Lớn: who gives to whom, with what, and when.
Choosing a First-Foot Visitor by Age Compatibility: Folk Practice, Common Taboos, and the Limits of That Approach
Choosing a first-foot visitor by age compatibility: folk criteria, offerings, step-by-step practice, common taboos, and the limits to keep in mind.
How Does Lunar New Year for the Ethnic Chinese in Chợ Lớn Differ from Vietnamese Tet?
How Lunar New Year among the Hoa of Chợ Lớn differs from Vietnamese Tết: Kitchen God send-off, offerings, bánh tổ, assembly halls, visiting order.
How Do Lion, Unicorn and Dragon Dances Differ Between Tet and Grand Openings?
How lân dance at Tet differs from a grand opening: timing, the hanging prize and formation-breaking, plus Ông Địa and the old troupes of Chợ Lớn.
First-day Tet travel for the 2027 Lunar New Year: how to choose the hour and direction, and where sources disagree
First-day Tet travel for 2027: how to choose the hour and direction, prepare offerings, and follow the route, plus why sources disagree on the calculations.
From the 1st to the 7th day of Tet, what does each day mean in Vietnam? Customs and significance
Vietnamese Tet customs from day 1 to 7: first-footing, New Year greetings, votive paper burning and khai hạ, with their meanings and regional differences.
Why We Avoid the Belongings of the Dead and Seek New Year's Luck: Contagious Magic in the Modern Mind
Contagious magic rests on two laws: contact transfers properties, and similarity means shared essence. Rozin's 1986 experiments show they still shape us.
Vietnamese Lunar New Year Customs and the Meaning Behind Each Ritual
Vietnamese Lunar New Year customs: the Kitchen Gods send-off, New Year's Eve rites, first-footing, and lucky money, with the meaning behind each.
What do the customs of buying salt and carrying water at the start of the year mean?
Buying salt and carrying water at Tết are luck-seeking customs: lucky salt on the first morning in the north, hired carriers bringing water like money.
The First-Foot Custom at Lunar New Year: Origins, How Old Vietnamese Chose the First Visitor, and How the Custom Is Changing
First-footing is an old Vietnamese Tet custom: the first person to enter a home after midnight is believed to carry the year's fortune.