The Hong Bao: Auspicious and Mystical Red Envelopes

Each year, during the most important cultural event for the ethnic Chinese, small children and unmarried adults look forward to receiving hong bao.  

As ethnic Chinese all over the world welcome the Year of the Horse on February 17, 2026, various depictions of the horse are emblazoned on the red packets in the form of cartoons for children or elegant and embossed golden horses on beautiful envelopes printed by banks for their discerning clients.  

Horse image downloaded from: wix.com

The year of the horse symbolizes bold action, progress and momentum

In Indonesia, the red packets carry many different meanings and uses. Designer Josephine '€œObin'€ Komara, one of Indonesia's foremost figures in cultural conservation who revived and continued traditional weaving methods of fine textiles, revealed that Elang, her only son, kneels at the heels of his elders every Chinese New Year.   "€œHe keeps the hong bao he receives in his wallet as an amulet,"€ Obin explained, referring to the mystical quality surrounding the red envelopes.

Other than children and unmarried adults, hong bao may also be given by married couples as symbols of respect to elders in the family. These elders are the patriarchs and/or matriarchs who are the heads of extended families.  

As a token of appreciation, household staff and employees are also given these envelopes.   The amount of money inside each hong bao corresponds to the rank and number of years the recipient has contributed to his/her employer.

"€œI look forward to receiving hong bao each year when my boss distributes them to his employees,"€ said Narti, a factory worker. "€œIt'€™s not about the money that we receive, but we see the act of giving hong bao as a sign of appreciation of the hard work that we have done."

€The design of each hong bao also carries special meanings.   The intricate Chinese characters cannot be deciphered by most Indonesians, including a large number of Chinese-Indonesians who could not learn the Chinese language during the New Order Era (1965-1998), when virtually all forms of Chinese culture and language were banned.

Although not many in Indonesia are able to comprehend the actual meaning of the Chinese characters, nearly everyone in the country understands that the bright red color signifies prosperity and good fortune.  

These common themes are explicated in the double-fish images on the envelopes that denote continued wealth and cherubic children who suggest happiness and fertility. Some also depict Chinese historical symbols such as ships with large sails used in China many years ago.  

Architect Miranti Gumayana, a non-Chinese, received a hong bao with a golden ship on it at a Chinese New Year event and surmised that she was probably "traveling around the world." Other than observing the symbolism on the red envelopes, she also pointed out that "€œhong bao have become an intrinsic part of Indonesian culture." For instance, at her nephew'€s khitanan or a circumcision rite, signaling a Muslim €œboy'€™s initiation into proper boyhood, the words hong bao were used to refer to the envelopes containing money conferred to the boy as a present for successfully going through the ceremony.  

It is important to note here that other than Chinese New Year, hong bao are also given to newly wed couples during tea ceremonies by their parents, relatives and married siblings to wish them well.   The tea ceremony is usually held several hours before the wedding reception commences. It is customary for guests at the wedding ceremony to also contribute hong bao as monetary gifts for the couple.

On the weeks leading up to the wedding day, the red packets are also distributed to unmarried friends and relatives of the bride and groom during events such as their formal engagement. Unlike Western culture, whereby an engagement is usually considered to be a private event involving just the couple, a Chinese engagement may involve family members, relatives and close friends.

Real estate conglomerate Agung Podomoro'€™s marketing and general promotion general manager Herlina Tamblin, recalled that at her own sang jit or engagement, "the hong bao distributed at the end of the event signify a form of good will and a wish for young adults of marriageable age to find their soul mates€."  Hong bao bearing the '€œdouble happiness' Chinese characters are usually pasted on the many items of clothing, food, jewelry and fruit exchanged by the bride and groom during the ceremony.

In the two weeks following the beginning of Chinese New Year to Cap Go Meh (the 15th day of the lunar calendar), the red packets are also distributed to the many barongsai (lion dance) performances that are enjoyed by everyone all over Indonesia, not just the ethnic Chinese.  

The lion dance creates an auspicious presence during Chinese New Year celebrations

Barongsai performances are not mere spectacles but also create an auspicious presence welcomed by small shops and swanky boutiques to bring in more wealth in the coming year. Audience members and shop owners usually '€œfeed'€ the barongsai with the red envelopes to thank these creatures for visiting them.

Since 1998, when all the restrictions on Chinese culture and language were lifted and Chinese New Year was declared a national holiday, the hong bao have indeed become an inherent and recognized part of this country's cultural celebrations.  

As our forefathers'€™ motto of Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) stands as the foundation of Indonesia, may these auspicious red packets wish our multi-ethnic nation continued religious and cultural tolerance.

An earlier version of this article was published in thejakartapost.com.