Free (and lucky) Chinese New Year Printable

Growing up in Canada made it tough to carry through Chinese traditions. Being raised with predominantly Western values and thinking, it’s no wonder why I can’t make sense of these traditions. With parents that mostly grew up in Canada as well, we would often chuckle at things like: Why my mother would need to give my fiance a pair of new pants before getting married, or why eating a certain noodle dish would bring long life. Or, why you would need to find a lady from your village to comb your hair at midnight before your wedding day…

But at the risk of mocking a culture that I should be proud of, there is generosity at the heart of many Chinese traditions. I’m referring specifically to the Lucky Red Envelope that generations above, hand to you filled with money at Chinese New Year. And if it’s your birthday, you are the one handing red envelopes to all the guests. So despite all the bizarre acts of wishing others wealth, good fortune, and happiness, there is at least something that is simple and thoughtful.

To celebrate Chinese New Year on Monday, Jan. 23rd, we have posted a free template here for you to download and print. It’s our take on the red envelope.

Here’s what you do:

  1. Right-click and download the PDF to your desktop.
  2. Print using a colour photo printer – one side at a time. This is double-sided, so you will need to know how your printer feeds the paper.
  3. Cut and fold the flaps so the center is in the shape of a square.
  4. Fill with money!
  5. You can choose to seal all flaps with a sticker at your option.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Cheers,

> Christine

{ images taken by Christine }