The custom of giving red envelopes originates in some of the oldest stories of Lunar New Year.

A demon known as “Sui” terrorized children while they slept on Lunar New Year’s Eve, according to legend, and parents would keep their children awake through the night to protect them. One year, a child was given eight coins to play with to keep him awake, but he struggled to stay awake and eventually drifted off with the coins on his pillow. The demon Sui appeared, but the coins (which were the eight immortals in disguise) produced a powerful light that drove the demon away.

Join Tristan for this episode of Colors in Taiwan.