China's little angels and the demon after their cash

Spring Festival is nearly here. Over 15 days homes will be cleaned, to sweep away bad luck. Families will feast, spend and decorate, themselves and their houses. And, if you're a kid, on New Year's morning, it's pay time! 

The traditional "ya sui qian" (压岁钱, 压祟钱) refers to the cash that’s inside a red envelope (hongbao, 红包) on New Year’s day. Only on New Year’s Day is a hongbao known as ya sui qian in honor of the terrible monster, Sui (祟), and acts as a little spiritual health insurance. 

Bribing the demon

The story goes that as a new year begins, Sui creeps forth seeking children. It only has to touch a child’s head and the child becomes ill. Sui is a formidable monster, but not so formidable that he isn't prone to accepting the odd bribe. Therefore, it is best to give children some money each year as a token of respect for Sui and a way to give children a bit of spending money.

The mantra of the Chinese youth during the new year is: “Gongxi facai, hongbao nalai!” (May you be happy and prosperous, give me some money).

And this money adds up.

Traditionally, the money was used to buy fireworks, toys and candy. “I remember my when I was ten years old, I used my ya sui qian at a carnival. It was the first time I used my own money to buy something,” says Chen Huihui, the mother of one-year-old Zhu Yi Fei, who is receiving her first ya sui qian this year. 

Although most Western traditions for children fade with adolescence, ya sui qian isn’t just for little ones in China. Hongbaos to ward off Sui are often given to young adults until they’re either married or independent, at which point they’re probably giving out ya sui qian themselves.

“I stopped getting ya sui qian when I started working,” explains Zhu Yun, “but I loved it when I was a child. This year we’ll give ya sui qian to two or three children. It’s a very happy time.”

The demon’s demands

Ya sui qian is given directly to kids or put under their pillows. In the past, this token money truly was token; maybe RMB 5 or RMB 10 per hongbao. But times have changed and a savvy demon like Sui certainly understands the cost of living these days.

“When I was a child, I received around RMB 10 from each older family member,” says Huihui. “Nowadays, it’s common to receive RMB100-200 from each person. We will open a bank account for Fei Fei.”

Today children get and expect hundreds of yuan from each elder family member. Sui is appeased, there is peace and safety for another year, and the children have a growing nest egg in the bank.