Double Happiness (calligraphy)

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Double happiness woven into a mat.

Double Happiness (simplified Chinese: 双喜; traditional Chinese: 雙喜; pinyin: Shuang xi; sometimes translated as Double Joy or Double Happy) is a Chinese ornamental design commonly used as a decoration.

It is a ligature "囍" composed of two Chinese characters 喜 (xi, 'joy'), compressed to assume the square shape of a standard Chinese character (much like a "real" character may consist of two parts), and often modified in various ways.

The Shuang Xi motif often appears on decorative items associated with New Year celebrations and weddings. It is often found all over the wedding ceremony, as well as on gift items given to the bride and groom. The color of the character is usually red, occasionally black. It is never white, because that is the color of death, and is worn at wakes (funerals).

Shuang xi (or its alternative transcriptions, Shuang hsi or Shuang hi) is also used as a brand names for things like cigarettes, matches, or soy sauce.