Red envelopes and what to put in them
A red envelope, hongbao in Mandarin and lai see in Cantonese, carries money given as a New Year’s blessing. Red is the color of good luck, and the envelope matters as much as what is inside: clean, new bills look best, and many families avoid amounts with the number four, whose word sounds like the word for death. Even amounts, and amounts with eights, are popular.
The envelope on this page holds the bill flat, which keeps a crisp new bill crisp. Choose the currency you will give and the size follows; the stats line under the envelope names the measurement before you print.
Making a set for the whole family
Type every child’s name on its own line and each gets an envelope of their own, one a page, so the right envelope reaches the right child at the dinner table. Add a “From” line and it prints on the top flap, which reads the right way round on the back once the envelope is closed. If the envelopes are a craft for children, print them in black on red paper and let them color the gold parts with a gold pen.
If you are getting ready for the new year anyway, the New Year resolution sheet gives every child a page of goals, and the goals bingo card turns the year’s plans into a game.
For the decorations, the paper lantern template prints the classic red lantern with gold coins on its bands: fold, cut the slits, roll and glue.
Questions
What size is the red envelope?
It is made for the bill you choose, so the bill goes in flat without folding: 10 mm wider than the bill is tall and 12 mm taller than the bill is long. For a US dollar bill (156 × 66 mm) that is 77 × 168 mm, close to the size of the red envelopes sold in shops; for a 100 yuan note (155 × 77 mm) it is 87 × 167 mm.
Which blessings can I choose?
Five common New Year wishes: 新年快乐 (Happy New Year), 恭喜发财 (wishing you a prosperous year), 万事如意 (may all go as you wish), 身体健康 (good health all year) and 学业进步 (success in your studies), a favourite for children. Each prints in simplified or traditional characters, with its English meaning underneath, and the character 福 (good fortune) sits in the gold circle at the top.
Can I print on red paper?
Yes. Choose “Black, on red paper” and the envelope prints in black ink only, with no red to fill, which saves a lot of ink. Red printer paper or thin red card both work. On white paper, “Red and gold” prints the whole envelope in color.
How do I fold it?
Cut along the solid line. Fold the two side flaps back along the dashed lines so they overlap behind the front, fold the bottom flap up over them and glue it on. Slide the bill in from the top and fold the top flap down. Every printed side ends up on the outside.
When is Lunar New Year 2027?
Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February 2027 and begins the Year of the Goat. Red envelopes are given from New Year's Day on, usually by parents, grandparents and married relatives to children and to unmarried younger family.
Is anything uploaded from this page?
No. The envelopes and the PDF are drawn in your browser, the Chinese characters included. The names you type are kept in this browser for next year, and no request carries them anywhere.