"Letters of happiness": hypotheses of the origin of the genre and its ethnocultural specificity

The article considers the origin of "letters of happiness" and the scope of their occurrence. The authors determine the universal and ethnocultural characteristics of the “letters of happiness”. The connection of “letters of happiness” with the texts of religious discourse has been established. Negative assessment of this genre is noted both from the standpoint of theology, and financial and computer security. The reason for the popularity and vitality of the "letters of happiness" is explained.