紅包送多少？看看老外怎么說

Editor's note: Giving hongbao (red envelopes stuffed with money) at weddings has been a tradition in China.
編者按：親朋結婚時送紅包（里面裝有錢的紅色紙包）是中國一直以來的傳統。

Now many people are complaining that they are "shortchanged" when the gift is returned.
但現在很多人都抱怨，自己收回的禮金太少。

Would you care if less amount of money is returned?
你會介意收回的份子錢比送出去的少嗎？

Is money really that important at a wedding?
份子錢對婚禮真的就那么重要嗎？

Forum readers share their opinions.
中國日報論壇中來自世界各地的網友給出了他們的觀點。

Paul from Austria displays the hongbaos in Hanshan county, Ma'anshan, Anhui province on Dec 31, 2012.[Photo/IC]

manojitpal (India)
印度網友馬努吉特帕（Manojitpal）:

In my opinion it is not necessary to compare what you get in exchange of what you give...kind of narrow minded thinking.
我覺得沒必要以自己送出份子錢來衡量應該收回多少......這未免有點太小心眼了。

Maybe in return of 600 yuan getting 200 yuan is small amount, but financial condition, current circumstances is behind that.
送出600元的紅包最終卻只收到200元的回禮難免感覺虧了，但我們也要考慮對方的經濟情況和現狀。

It's the thoughts that count.
紅包的意義不在于錢多錢少，重要的是所代表的祝愿。

Bride Gulsubinur Rozi dances in the banquet hall at the wedding ceremony in Aksu, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Aug 14, 2016. [Photo/IC]

tenith (Malaysia)
馬來西亞網友泰尼斯（Tenith）

In China monetary gifts can be excessive especially when it comes to family related ones and friends. Given Chinese culture, wedding is to be celebrated to give a spark to the life of the newly-weds and also sharing of the good occasion. This part is significantly healthy as it bonds a society, families and friends closer and also gives the couple an occasion to remember. Sharing is a good culture and your Chinese style of monetary gifts is practical to share the cost of the occasion. But the amount shouldn't be too exaggerated a sum given that it is a symbolic sign of blessing.
在中國，紅包一般都很豐厚，親朋間更是如此。中國文化中，婚姻是點亮新婚夫婦生活的晨光，也是二人執子之手的見證，在社會凝聚、家庭和睦、朋友交往中發揮了重要的紐帶作用，是一種非常健康的關系，也是夫妻二人共同的美好回憶。分享是良好的文化內質，而他們中國式的紅包實則表現了共享婚姻的喜悅、共擔婚禮的費用。但紅包不該給太多，因為這僅是祝福的象征。

Wang Chenglin (L) and Qu Yanli (R) ride a bicycle on their way to their wedding ceremony with 30 other riders in Kuqa county, Aksu, Xinjiang, on August 28, 2016. [Photo/IC]

Lily_ly (China)
中國網友李莉莉（Lily Ly）

To give a 'red envelop' is a traditional way to celebrate others wedding. But currently the money you need to give raise a lot. It almost becomes a burden to give red envelops every year. I think generally people should give the equal money as other people gave to you.
婚禮送紅包是慶祝二人喜結良緣的傳統方式。但最近紅包的“含金量”卻提高很多。每年都要送的紅包甚至成為沉重的負擔。我認為人們還是收多少回多少比較合適。

Couples ride military trucks at a group wedding in Tonghua, Jilin province on Aug 30, 2016. [Photo/chinajilin.com.cn]

Parcher (UK)
英國網友帕徹（Parcher）

I now refuse to go to anymore weddings/birthday parties/ dogs 1st anniversary/ goldfish engagements etc......after being insulted a few times over the amount I gave.
我曾有幾次因為送的紅包不夠豐厚受到別人的嘲笑，很是難看。從那以后，我就拒絕去參加任何婚禮、生日派對、寵物一周年或是金魚訂婚等各種亂七八糟由頭的活動。

Brides take selfies to commemorate the occasion in Tonghua, Jilin province on Aug 30, 2016. [Photo/chinajilin.com.cn]

Ratfink (Australia)
澳大利亞網友“無用的家伙”(Ratfink)

If a person is a good friend I will give 5-10,000 rmb as a wedding gift. If they are just someone I know socially they will get 500rmb. White friends get a toaster or something like it, eg a kettle or slow cooker etc, unless they are a close friend in which case they get a larger present.
如果是好朋友的婚禮，我會隨5000到10000元的份子錢，但如果就只是點頭之交，我差不多會送500塊錢吧。白人朋友一般會送烤箱，或者水壺、慢燉煲這樣的東西作為賀禮，但好朋友通常會備份大禮。

An engaged young Chinese couple sits on a bicycle as they pose for wedding photographs to the theme of naked wedding, on a pedestrian bridge over a busy highway in a traffic jam on Valentines Day in Beijing, China, on February 14, 2011.[Photo/IC]

sunnylin01 (China)
中國網友sunnylin01

It is natural for anyone to expect, if not more, the same amount back even if it is symbolic. But in rare cases the couple gets less than they gave before. I often give more considering the rise in prices.
每個人都會很自然地想要收回，如果不是多于的話，至少也該和自己給出的紅包金額相等，即便只是名義上的等價也行。偶爾會有收回的紅包的比送出還少這種情況。考慮到物價上漲，我通常會多回點。

Jonathan from the US and his Chinese bride Xu Shan get married with blessings from family and friends in Chongqing, on Dec 28, 2009.[Photo/IC]

mbursian (US)
美國網友Mbursian

My wife always checks our wedding registry and gives the same as was given us. Otherwise it's 1000 for close family, 500 for distant family and close friends, 200 for casual friends, and 100 for acquaintances. At our age, most of the weddings we attend are the children of our family and friends...
我妻子經常翻看婚禮注冊賬，然后等額回禮。如果沒有記錄的話，一般來說，近親送1000，遠親或好友500，普通朋友200，泛泛之交100。我們這個年齡參加的婚禮多數是親人或朋友孩子的婚禮。

英文來源：中國日報網
翻譯：張敏（中國日報網愛新聞iNews譯者）
編審：yaning