Apology issued after joss paper given to U of T students at graduate residence

An apology has been issued after the University of Toronto reportedly gave joss paper with the words “Hell bank note” on it to students at its graduate residence. The Star says that while envelopes of money are traditionally given as symbols of good luck and prosperity for the new year, students at the residence received envelopes with joss paper, which is used during funerals and is meant to be burned for the dead. South China Morning Post says that it is also sometimes used as a death threat or to intimidate people. U of T apologized in a statement, saying that “incorrect bank notes were unintentionally placed into the red envelopes” and that all the envelopes had been taken by the time they realized the mistake. “The University of Toronto deeply regrets this error,” read the statement. The Globe and Mail| The Star| South China Morning Post Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.