压岁钱 /yā suì qián/ money given to children as a lunar New Year gift
压岁钱：指在农历新年期间给孩子们的礼物，通常是一些钱。
压岁钱，又名压“祟”钱（“祟”就是不吉利的东西。古人借这个习俗来表达来年不要有任何不吉利的事情发生）。年晚饭后长辈要将事先准备好的压岁钱派发给晚辈，据说压岁钱可以压住邪祟，晚辈得到压岁钱就可以平平安安度过一年。压岁钱在民俗文化中寓意辟邪驱鬼，保佑平安。压岁钱最初的用意是镇恶驱邪。因为人们认为小孩容易受鬼祟的侵害，所以用压岁钱压祟驱邪。 正月初一早晨，晚辈要向长辈拜年，长辈给晚辈压岁钱。一般情况下，在除夕夜，母亲将用红纸封好的压岁钱放在小孩的枕头底下。放压岁钱时，母亲自会说些祝孩子们平安健康成长之类的话。给小孩发压岁钱，源于一个久远的传说。
在历史上，压岁钱是分多种的，一般在新年倒计时时由长辈派发给晚辈，表示压“祟”，包含着长辈对晚辈的关切之情和真切祝福；另一种就是晚辈给老人的，这个压岁钱的“岁”指的是年岁，意在期盼老人长寿。可追溯的最早压岁钱文字记载在汉代，又叫压胜钱，并不在市面上流通，而是铸成钱币形式的玩赏物，有避邪的功能。
神话传说
很久以前，有个叫“祟”的妖怪专在除夕夜出来祸害小孩。它用手在小孩额头上摸摸，小孩就会受惊啼哭发烧，待烧退后即变成了傻子。一年除夕夜，一对夫妇用红线串了八枚铜钱逗孩子玩。半夜，一阵阴风将灯烛吹灭，“祟”溜了进来。当“祟”把手伸向小孩额头时，孩子枕边那串铜钱突然发出一道雪亮的闪光，吓得“祟”怆惶逃蹿。此事传开后，人们都在除夕夜用红线串上八枚铜钱置于小孩枕边，果然，“祟”再也不来降灾施瘟了。原来，八枚铜钱正好暗合八仙之数，其法力能降“祟”祛灾。从此，这串专给小孩度岁避祸的铜钱就被称为“压祟钱”。“崇”、“岁”同音，后来就被讹为“压岁钱”了。古人笃信钱可通神役鬼，故自古就有用铜钱作驱邪求吉的“厌（ya）胜”钱之用。据考证，春节向小孩赐钱“压祟”，至少在明代后期就已流行。到清代，还有“压岁盘”、“压岁果子”之类的出现。
New Year’s money, also known as “evil” money (“evil” is an unlucky thing. The ancients used this custom to express that nothing unlucky will happen in the coming year). After the New Year’s dinner, the elders will distribute the pre-prepared New Year’s money to the younger ones. It is said that the New Year’s money can suppress evil spirits, and the younger ones can spend the year in peace after receiving the New Year’s money. In folk culture, New Year’s money means warding off evil spirits and exorcising ghosts, and bless peace. The original purpose of lucky money was to suppress evil and drive away evil spirits. Because people think that children are vulnerable to evil spirits, they use lucky money to ward off evil spirits. On the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, the younger generation pays New Year greetings to their elders, and the elders give lucky money to the younger generation. Usually, on New Year’s Eve, the mother puts the lucky money sealed in red paper under the child’s pillow. When giving out new year’s money, mothers will naturally say something like wishing their children a safe and healthy growth. Giving new year’s money to children comes from a long-standing legend.
Historically, there are many types of New Year’s money, which are usually distributed by the elders to the younger ones during the countdown to the New Year, which expresses the “evil spirit” and contains the concern and sincere blessings from the elders to the younger ones. The other kind is given by the younger generations to the elders. The “sui” in this new year’s money refers to the age, which is intended to wish the elderly a long life. The earliest traceable written record of New Year’s money can be found in the Han Dynasty. It is also called lucky money. It is not circulated in the market, but is cast into coins as ornaments and has the function of warding off evil spirits.
Myths and legends
A long time ago, there was a monster named “Sui” who came out to harm children on New Year’s Eve. If it touches a child’s forehead with its hand, the child will be frightened, cry, and have a fever. When the fever subsides, the child will turn into a fool. One New Year’s Eve, a couple strung eight copper coins with red thread to entertain their children. In the middle of the night, a gust of wind blew out the lights, and the “haunted” spirit slipped in. When “Sui” stretched his hand to the child’s forehead, the string of copper coins beside the child’s pillow suddenly gave off a bright flash of light, which scared “Sui” and ran away in panic. After the incident spread, people strung eight copper coins with red thread and placed them next to their children’s pillows on New Year’s Eve. Sure enough, the “evil spirit” never came to bring disaster or plague again. It turns out that eight copper coins coincide with the number of the eight immortals, and their magic power can ward off “evil spirits” and eliminate disasters. From then on, this string of copper coins specially given to children to avoid misfortune became known as “evil money”. “Chong” and “Sui” have the same pronunciation, so it was later called “lucky money”. The ancients firmly believed that money can communicate with gods and conquer ghosts, so copper coins have been used since ancient times as “Ya Sheng” money to ward off evil spirits and seek good luck. According to research, giving money to children during the Spring Festival to “suppress evil spirits” has been popular since at least the late Ming Dynasty. By the Qing Dynasty, there were also “New Year’s Plates” and “New Year’s Fruits” appearing.
