【口語會話 Follow me 】

Talking About Red Envelope Customs
談論紅包的禮俗

B: Hey, have you noticed how people in Taiwan pay attention to odd and even numbers when giving red envelopes?
T: Yeah! I heard that you should give different quantities depending on the occasion.
B: That's right. It's a traditional custom in Taiwan. For events like weddings, it's common to give red envelopes with an even amount, symbolizing "double happiness." On the other hand, odd numbers are considered lonely and are typically used for funerals.
T: Is the number four also avoided?
B: Yes! Because the pronunciation of four in Chinese sounds like "death," and it's considered unlucky.
T: That's different from the Western taboo number, which is 13.
B: There are many cultural differences between the East and West, causing some culture shock .
T :I used to feel awkward when I first came to Taiwan! Now I've learned more, so I can avoid embarrassing situations in the future.
B: Don't worry. As a foreigner, you can learn at your own pace. I'm sure people will understand!

B: 嘿，你有注意到在台灣送紅包時，大家會留意金額的單數或雙數嗎？
T: 有啊！據說依據不同場合，要分別送不同的數目。
B: 是的，這是台灣的傳統習俗。像是婚禮的場合要送雙數的紅包，象徵「好事成雙」，而單數被視為孤單的數字，通常只有喪禮才能使用。
T: 是不是也要避掉數字4 ？
B: 對啊！因為4 在中文的諧音很像「死」，不太吉利。
T: 這點就跟西方不同了，西方不吉祥的數字是13。
B: 東西方有很多禮俗都不太一樣，難免會有文化衝擊。
T: 我剛來台灣時就常常很糗呢！現在學到更多了，以後就能避免尷尬的情況了。
B: 別擔心，你是外國人，可以慢慢學，我想大家會體諒的！