What is blessing cash?

[Kenny同志]

Hello folks,

 

I'm translating something for a hotel. One package it offers includes something like this, i.e. 'Blessing Cash exchange service (Limited to CNY50net per room)'. Presumably, it's a Chinese thing but I really can't figure out what it is. 壓歲錢 is the closest one I can think of but I am not sure it is commonly called blessing money in English.

 

Any thoughts? Cheers!

[sanchuan]

福袋营销? Not a cash thing though, I don't think. 

 

Also thought of some kind of internal 福利彩票 lottery, but maybe that's too much of a stretch...

 

[Kenny同志]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Sanchuan. It might be a very bad translation from Chinese. I will see if the client can provide any further information.

[abcdefg]

Kenny,

I've stayed in mid-priced Chinese "businessman" hotels which had seasonal marketing promotions. Usually the guest received some "bonus money" coupons that could be used during a subsequent stay at that same property. They had imaginative names for these rewards. Names like "blessings cash." Management wanted you to apply these rewards to goods or services from the hotel, but would still allow you to exchange a little bit of it for actual Chinese RMB. 

 

Maybe that's the case here. Only an educated guess, of course. 

[Kenny同志]

Thanks Abcdefg, that makes a lot of sense! I've already handed in the work in which I literally translated it as 祝福现金. From what you have said, it doesn't sound very bad. Haha. 

[cncorrect]

In China, when someone gets married, sends their children to college, or on other festive occasions, those close to him usually give him a red envelope as a gift. It usually contains a certain amount of cash. It is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. This is a traditional Chinese custom that has gradually developed into a service provided by hotels.

 

When guests check into a hotel, the hotel staff may provide a red envelope as a gift to wish them a happy stay and good luck. The amount of cash in the red envelope is usually not high, but it represents the hotel's good wishes and care for the guests.

 

I think it is something like that. It's called '贺礼' or '红包'. Though it is not quite native, '祝福现金' is direct and easy to understand.

 

 

[honglam]

BTW 歲 stands for “Years”, thus 壓歲錢 is the very money you give to others (at least in Northern part of China, to relatives, especially junior ones) on Chinese New Year. Using this term at any time except Chinese New Year is weird.

It occurs to me to say "寶鈔送福", literally "Treasured Cash Delivers Luck". It sounds like the name of some activities and something native speaker may find more "Interesting"(? I don't know how to describe the sense more exactly).

[lrn-lang]

Interesting! It seems like a bad translation from Chinese to English.