17th August 2021
It is not the custom to give actual gifts on certain occasions such as at weddings. Money is given. This money is given in cash and the amount is generally decided by the relationship the giver has with the couple getting married.
The money is handed over in special envelopes made for the occasion. Other occasions include funerals or the birth of a child.
There are smaller envelopes for other times too. For example school age children get money from relatives at New Year called お年玉（otoshidama). You could call this New Year’s money or a New Year’s allowance.
There are other envelopes with general messages written on them thanking people or wishing people well. Sometimes there are messages written on the envelopes about how to spend the money. For example おいしいものでも・・・ (oishii mono demo..) – ‘Please have something tasty’. These types of messages are only for design really. You can spend the money on anything you want!
Even when giving cash in casual situations people will fold paper over the money, maybe origami paper, so that the money is hidden.
＊The paper in cash money is called a ‘note‘ in British English and a ‘bill‘ in American English.
<Example sentences>
■ She took the ten pound note out of her bag.
■ I can’t find the fifty dollar bill. Where did you put it?
■ You gave me a 5,000 (five thousand) yen note yesterday but I can’t remember where I put it!
■ The machine takes both coins and bills.
＊The numbers are mostly written in alphabet form, not numerals in these sentences above. ’10’ is a numeral. ‘Ten’ is the alphabet form. In more formal sentences writing a number in alphabet form is better but writing the numeral form is not wrong.
■ How much money do people give at weddings?
■ Do/Did you save your New Year’s money or do/did you use it quickly?!
■ Do people give money at weddings or funerals in your country?
■ (Suggesting something to someone while looking at envelopes on the Internet or while you are in a shop together.) You could buy these envelopes as souvenirs. The writing on this envelope means ~.
■ Have you heard of people using special envelopes to hand over money to people?