The word Shagun comes from the Sanskrit word “sa-gun” meaning “good attributes”. Shagun in Indian culture is about blessing an important or an auspicious occasion and wishing the persons good luck for their future. It is usually a monetary gift and symbolic of the Lakshmiji who is the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. For this reason, in Indian culture, it is inherent to handle money with respect and basic courtesy to be very discreet while gifting money.
Shagun is given on important occasions. It is an auspicious gift. Essentially, it’s a token amount for acknowledging the relationship and expressing love, respect and good wishes. The amount is inconsequential and it’s the thought that counts. Interestingly, the amount of money being put in the Shagun envelope is usually not a round number. Culturally, it’s considered auspicious to add 1 and give 101 instead of 100 or 501 instead of 500 or even 5,100 instead of 5,000 and so on. Another consideration is that the bills should be new and crisp, preferably without markings and folds. Your friendly bank cashier or the ATM will come in quite handy while getting new notes.
The giver should not flaunt the gift publicly and embarrass the receiver. That’s why the money is put inside a Shagun envelope and given discreetly and it’s a good idea to write your name on it. This has the advantage to the receiver, of identifying who gave what. because it will help when the Shagun gift has to be reciprocated. Earlier Shagun envelopes would just be a plain envelope with a holy motif but over time they have moved fon rom being plain and simple to becoming beautifully designed and printed works of art.
Weddings are when Shagun envelopes find their best use. Did you know that giving Shagun is not only limited to India but is a very Asian practice. For example, in China, Korea and Japan it’s quite similar to India except that in China the envelopes are red, in Korea they are white and in Japan they are more colourful and artistic.
Guests like to give Shagun to the couple instead of giving random items which often are either duplicated or are not needed by them. With the Shagun money, the young couple can buy exactly what they may need or want. The close relatives and elders like to give Shagun to help the couple and their families by participating in the wedding expenses. The parents of the couple give Shagun to the younger family members and as a reciprocal gesture to their guests. At Indian weddings, it is not unusual to find everybody giving Shagun to everyone else.
You can find Shagun envelopes in stationary shops and online. Starting from the plain and simple ones, you can get customised envelopes with your choice of designs, printing and quality. Usually, design studios will give you Shagun envelopes and unique wedding card design but that may come at a premium cost. Fortunately, there are some wedding card companies and designers who have gone online like The Wedding Card Co. who offer you a wide variety of affordable personalised Shagun envelopes with designs matching your wedding cards.