Ritual Reconstruction: A Study On The Communication Culture Of Online Red Envelopes

The red envelope culture has a long history in China,it is the emotional embodiment of the traditional Chinese culture.Before the emergence of the online red envelopes,traditional red envelopes had been spreading in the community of acquaintances due to the restrictions of distance,space and cultural traditions,etc.The recipients and scenes of the red envelopes also limited that it can only be a sacred ceremony with a blessing.However,the arrival of the Internet has changed the ritual,which has changed greatly from external representation to internal value.This change is just corresponding to the sanctity of the ritual.The diversity and concentration of media communication make the ritual sense of life stronger and stronger.It has expanded the traditional cultural foundation and promoted the daily and entertainment of the ritual.Since the emergence of red envelopes on the Internet,the public has been competing to participate in the explosion of group carnival.It has changed the Chinese tradition of interpersonal relationship based on blood relationship,made people realise the overlap of real relationship and virtual relationship,and become a new way of gift giving.The spread of this culture is not only the externalization of the sense of ritual life and entertainment in the network era,but also implies the new social reality structure different from the traditional society.Based on the communication ritual theory of James Carey,this paper analyses the new characteristics of the online red envelope culture from three aspects including the communication subject,the communication scene and the communication mode based on the questionnaire survey: that is,from hierarchical culture to equal culture,from material culture to experience culture,from strong relationship culture to weak relationship culture,from sacred culture to entertainment culture.Then the development of red envelope communication culture will be explored: in the future,red envelopes must be a way to integrate with social contact and scenes.Only by strengthening the adherence to the traditional connotation,can the network red envelope continue to be the "cultural load" to fully and appropriately convey the emotional power in the national blood.The author hopes to explore the social reality represented by the communication culture of online red envelopes by analysing the communication culture of online red envelopes,to seek the explanation of the behaviours of people giving and receiving red envelopes,and to explain the construction of the cultural significance,social identity and realistic picture of red envelopes.