Why is red lucky, bringing prosperity and wealth?

Vietnamese Tet is filled with the color red, from red parallel sentences, red lucky money envelopes, red watermelon flesh to red calendars, showing how important red is in Vietnamese life.

Decorative accessories for the Lunar New Year 2024 with the wish "All the best" on Hang Ma Street. (Photo: Hoang Hieu/VNA)

There are few Vietnamese people who do not know the famous couplets about Tet. "Fatty meat, pickled onions, red parallel sentences/ Bamboo pole, firecrackers, green square cake."

Vietnamese Tet is filled with the color red, from red parallel sentences, red lucky money envelopes, red watermelon flesh, red-dyed watermelon seeds to red calendars. From that, we can see how important the color red is in the lives of Vietnamese people in particular and Asian people in general.

According to the Eastern New Year concept, red is the color symbolizing warmth and luck. Red is suitable for the sacred, reunion atmosphere of the traditional New Year, because it brings prosperity, fortune and strength.

1. The meaning of red

Why is red a lucky color in East Asian culture? The origin of this answer comes from an ancient legend in China.

Legend has it that in ancient times there existed a monster with the body of a lion and the head of a dragon, called the Nian Beast. Every New Year, it would come down from the mountains to steal livestock and attack villagers. However, people discovered that this monster was afraid of fire and the sound of firecrackers.

So the villagers hung red lanterns, decorated their houses with red fire and set off firecrackers every New Year. From then on, the year beast did not dare to come and wreak havoc again.

To celebrate the victory, people retell the story of chasing away the year beast through the lion dance.

Based on the legend of chasing away the Year Beast, the color red is considered to have the ability to ward off evil spirits. This concept spread from China to neighboring countries including Vietnam, Korea, and Japan.

The Japanese paint the gates of their Shinto shrines (torii) red as a way to connect spiritually with the gods and ward off evil thoughts. The Koreans use red ink to write the names of the dead in books and on funeral amulets to ward off evil spirits.

A shop on Hang Ma Street made a 12-meter-tall red dragon model to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. (Photo: Hoang Hieu/VNA)

In Vietnam, in the past, officials' daughters were allowed to wear red yem, called yem dai hong, as a way to protect themselves from evil spirits.

In addition to the meaning of warding off evil spirits, red also brings luck and fortune. Red is considered a symbol of luck, fortune and success in the New Year.

Preserving traditional cultural values: Red has been used in traditional ceremonies and festivals for thousands of years. Using red on Tet holiday is not only a way to follow tradition but also a way to show respect and preserve traditional cultural values.

Solemnity: Red is often considered a bright and prominent color. Red represents pride, respect and reverence for this important holiday. It also brings solemnity and warmth to the Tet atmosphere.

Love and unity: Red also symbolizes love, happiness and family unity.

From a scientific and practical perspective, red has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, making people more excited, thus thinking positively and working more effectively. Red reflects on people, especially the face, and everything will make the scene radiant, lively, and full of life.

2. How to use red to attract wealth

Because red is the color of luck and fortune, every family uses red to decorate their house when Tet comes. Many families decorate with five-emperor coins with a red string underneath, stick red words of blessing in front of the house, decorate with red plants and flowers...

In addition, you can use some red items to bring luck and attract wealth such as placing a red Lucky Cat on the altar of the God of Wealth; keeping a red thread in your wallet; tying red ribbons around feng shui items in your home; decorating some red items in the bedroom (but don't use too many), living room (mattress, square pillow, red flower vase), kitchen.

You can also place commonly used work items such as pens, computers, and phones on a red cloth to bring good luck; or plant red feng shui plants such as aglaonema, poinsettia, and camellia... to create a more lucky and radiant feeling./.

According to https://www.vietnamplus.vn/vi-sao-mau-do-lai-may-mang-lai-vuong-khi-va-tai-loc-post921115.vnp

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