The word "贺岁" is formed from the character "贺", meaning to congratulate, which is composed of the radical "贝" (representing value) and the component "加" (meaning to add), combined with the character "岁", meaning year, which originates from "步" (step) and "戌" (a weapon symbol), historically indicating the passage of time; together, they literally mean "to congratulate the year", specifically referring to the celebration of the New Year.