The culture of giving gifts as presents on big days is an important practice in our society. Giving gifts can be for maintaining a friendship, socialization, compensation, bride price, as well as land purchases. The functions and characteristics of gifts were written by famous French Sociologist Marcel Mauss in his essay “The Gift” from which several scholars like Ian Cunningson and Mary Douglas translated the essay into English.

The thesis aims to explore the features and changes embedded in the practice of Red Envelope custom in Taiwan compared to the customary gift-giving practices in the Solomon Islands. The thesis was divided into three different parts of comparison. The social functions of the red envelope inside society, family, and in the personal dimension. The red envelope is one of the most popular cultural practices in Taiwan during the Chinese New Year celebrations, weddings, and birthdays. To understand the functions of the red envelope and the customary gifts in contemporary Taiwan and the Solomon Islands society, the research resources include day-to-day interaction with random Taiwanese people, oral histories, online questionnaire surveys, and a literature review. Traditions and customs evolved over time, and the meanings and requirements are also changing, it happend, so to fit the current situation.

Red envelope function associates itself with strengthening family ties, social status (wealth), good fortunes (lucks), blessings, love, and respect in Taiwan, as well as among the expatriates who have been in Taiwan for years, likewise the customary gifts in the Solomon Islands. Originally, these customs associated themselves with positivity, however, the meanings and significance changed over time.

Chapter 1. Introduction. (pg. 1)
Section 1. Motivation. (pg.1)
Section 1.2. Literature Review. (pg. 9)
Section 1.3. Research Methodology. (pg. 23)
Chapter 2, Society. The functions of Red Envelope in Taiwan. (pg. 31)
Section 2.1. The Chinese Legends of Red Envelope. (pg. 33)
Section 2.2. Red Envelope and Prosperity. (pg. 35)
Section 2.3. The etiquettes of Red Envelope. (pg. 37)
Section 2.4. How to give and receive a red envelope. (pg. 41)
Section 2.5. Tips on receiving. (pg. 42)
Chapter 3, Family. Social Functions of Red Envelope in Taiwan compared to Sigo and shell money in the Solomon Islands. (pg. 47)
SectiFestivalLantern festival and Red Envelope. (pg. 50)
Section 3.2. The practice of Sigo in the Solomon Islands. (pg. 52)
Section 3.3. Bride price (shell money) in the Solomon Islands. (pg. 55)
Chapter 4, Personal Dimension. Ei-vanga in the Solomon Islands compared to Red Envelope in Taiwan. (pg. 63)
Section 4.1. Ei-vanga. (pg. 65)
Section 4.2. Red Money and Red Envelope. (pg. 70)
Section 4.3. Potlatch system compared to Red Envelope and Ei-vanga. (pg. 73)
Section 4.4. The Five Skills (wu shu) and Red Envelope. (pg. 75)
Chapter 5. Findings and Discussions. (pg. 81)
Section 5.1. Findings. (pg. 81)
Section 5.2. Discussions. (pg. 83)
Chapter 6. Conclusion. (pg. 91)
Bibliography. (pg. 95)
Apendix. (pg. 97)

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