A Chinese county has banned birthday parties in order to save money!

Birthday parties and other events were specifically prohibited in a county in southwestern China, apparently in response to demands from the central government to be more financially secure.

As a result, new funeral and wedding laws were enforced, such as prohibiting cash gifts worth more than 200 yuan (£22, US$31).

The laws only extend to Funing County communist party leaders, civil servants, and village organizational stakeholders, not to the general public. Funing County is in Yunnan Province, China, and is part of the Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Province. This will be Yunnan’s easternmost county-level division, bordering Guangxi to the north, east, and southeast, as well as Vietnam’s Hà Giang Territory to the south.

Giving monetary gifts during gatherings is a common Chinese custom.

Nonetheless, they may be used to bribe powerful hosts.

It isn’t the first time the Communist Party has taken retaliatory action against its supporters. They were barred from drinking and eating lavishly, attending golf clubs, and entering private clubs in 2015 as part of an anti-corruption campaign.

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There are a few rules to remember when planning a wedding banquet: the number of tables should not exceed 20, and the total number of guests should not exceed 200. If the buffet is held in a restaurant, the cost per guest cannot exceed 50 yuan; if it is held at home, the cost per table cannot exceed 300 yuan. Throughout the wedding procession, a total of ten vehicles must be maintained.

Weddings and funerals are seen as important aspects of social status in Chinese society, so there is an expectation that society – especially those in positions of power, such as village leaders – maintain lavish or rather elucidate affairs.

Hundreds of guests may participate a normal wedding party, although it is customary for invitees to carry cash gifts.

Source: BBC News