福 = 示 shì (the divine altar radical — a table for offerings, visible from heaven) + 畐 fú (a wine jar full to the brim — abundance, fullness). The original meaning: abundant offerings on the altar, the fullness that comes from divine favor. 福 is blessing as material and spiritual abundance recognized and granted from above.

The 示 radical appears across the divine-ritual character family: 祖 zǔ (ancestor), 神 shén (god/spirit), 祈 qí (to pray), 礼 lǐ (ritual/courtesy), 祝 zhù (to bless/wish). All connect back to the altar — Chinese culture's original site of contact with the sacred. 福 is what the altar produces when the offering is accepted.

The classical text 尚书 Shàngshū (Book of Documents) lists the 五福 wǔfú — the five blessings that constitute a complete and fortunate life. These remain culturally active across all Chinese-speaking communities:

寿 shòu — long life · 富 fù — wealth · 康宁 kāngnìng — health and peace · 攸好德 yōu hào dé — the love of virtue · 考终命 kǎo zhōng mìng — a natural, peaceful death at the end of one's allotted span. The fifth blessing is striking: it is not more wealth or fame, but the completion of one's life-arc without violent or premature end. The five blessings define the Chinese conception of the good life.

The most widely known Chinese New Year custom: posting the character 福 upside-down on the door. The pun: 倒 dào (upside-down) sounds identical to 到 dào (to arrive). So 福倒了 = "the 福 is upside-down" sounds exactly like 福到了 = "blessing has arrived." The entire tradition rests on a single tonal homophone — one of the most elegant puns in Chinese folk culture.

The practice is documented from at least the Ming dynasty. Today it appears on doors, windows, and walls across China, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities every Spring Festival. The character is also written on red paper squares in calligraphy as gifts — the gift of blessing, brushed by hand.