Red string
Two customs stand behind the red string bracelet: the zodiac year and the thread of fate.
Why people wear a red string
Your zodiac year
Tradition treats your own animal year, benmingnian, as a year for care. People wear red at the wrist, ankle or waist until the next New Year.
The thread of fate
In a Tang tale, the matchmaker Yue Lao ties a red thread between two people fated to marry. Couples wear red string with that story in mind.
Who ties the knot
Many people like a relative or friend to tie it. Strings often carry a small gold zhuanyun bead, a wish for luck to turn.
Someone who cares about you ties the knot.
What to look for
Keep cords and small beads off babies and sleeping children. They can choke or strangle. A red string is a custom of good wishes and cannot promise luck, love or health.
Red string
Hand-picked pieces are on the way.
Good to know
What does a red string bracelet mean?
In Chinese custom it is a wish for protection and luck. People wear it in their zodiac year, and couples wear it for Yue Lao's thread of fate. Jewish and Hindu red string customs are separate traditions.
Which wrist do you wear a red string on?
Many Chinese wearers follow the old saying, men left, women right. It is a custom rather than a rule. Some other traditions, such as Kabbalah, use the left wrist for everyone.
What happens when a red string breaks?
Nothing bad. Many people say a break means the string has done its work, and they simply tie a new one.
