红包送多少？老外，你怎么看？

Editor's note: Giving hongbao (red envelopes stuffed with money) at weddings has been a tradition in China.
编者按：亲朋结婚时送红包（里面装有钱的红色纸包）是中国一直以来的传统。

Now many people are complaining that they are "shortchanged" when the gift is returned.
但现在很多人都抱怨，自己收回的礼金太少。

Would you care if less amount of money is returned?
你会介意收回的份子钱比送出去的少吗？

Is money really that important at a wedding?
份子钱对婚礼真的就那么重要吗？

Forum readers share their opinions.
中国日报论坛中来自世界各地的网友给出了他们的观点。

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

manojitpal (India)
印度网友马努吉特帕（Manojitpal）:

In my opinion it is not necessary to compare what you get in exchange of what you give...kind of narrow minded thinking.
我觉得没必要以自己送出份子钱来衡量应该收回多少......这未免有点太小心眼了。

Maybe in return of 600 yuan getting 200 yuan is small amount, but financial condition, current circumstances is behind that.
送出600元的红包最终却只收到200元的回礼难免感觉亏了，但我们也要考虑对方的经济情况和现状。

It's the thoughts that count.
红包的意义不在于钱多钱少，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)
马来西亚网友泰尼斯（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.
在中国，红包一般都很丰厚，亲朋间更是如此。中国文化中，婚姻是点亮新婚夫妇生活的晨光，也是二人执子之手的见证，在社会凝聚、家庭和睦、朋友交往中发挥了重要的纽带作用，是一种非常健康的关系，也是夫妻二人共同的美好回忆。分享是良好的文化内质，而他们中国式的红包实则表现了共享婚姻的喜悦、共担婚礼的费用。但红包不该给太多，因为这仅是祝福的象征。

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)
中国网友李莉莉（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.
婚礼送红包是庆祝二人喜结良缘的传统方式。但最近红包的“含金量”却提高很多。每年都要送的红包甚至成为沉重的负担。我认为人们还是收多少回多少比较合适。

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

Parcher (UK)
英国网友帕彻（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.
我曾有几次因为送的红包不够丰厚受到别人的嘲笑，很是难看。从那以后，我就拒绝去参加任何婚礼、生日派对、宠物一周年或是金鱼订婚等各种乱七八糟由头的活动。

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

Ratfink (Australia)
澳大利亚网友“无用的家伙”(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.
如果是好朋友的婚礼，我会随5000到10000元的份子钱，但如果就只是点头之交，我差不多会送500块钱吧。白人朋友一般会送烤箱，或者水壶、慢炖煲这样的东西作为贺礼，但好朋友通常会备份大礼。

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)
中国网友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.
每个人都会很自然地想要收回，如果不是多于的话，至少也该和自己给出的红包金额相等，即便只是名义上的等价也行。偶尔会有收回的红包的比送出还少这种情况。考虑到物价上涨，我通常会多回点。

 
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)
美国网友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...
我妻子经常翻看婚礼注册账，然后等额回礼。如果没有记录的话，一般来说，近亲送1000，远亲或好友500，普通朋友200，泛泛之交100。我们这个年龄参加的婚礼多数是亲人或朋友孩子的婚礼。

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