Giving presents shows how much you care about that person and value your connections. When you offer someone a gift, no matter the reason, you typically express your feelings of affection and gratitude for them. But in Chinese culture, specific presents are taboo because of their bad luck implications.
When are Chinese gifts given?
Gift-giving is highly valued in Chinese culture to express appreciation and show respect. At the same time, your Chinese friends and business partners would gladly accept your presence regardless of whether or not you bring a present. But getting a small token of your appreciation during formal visits is nice.
When giving a gift to a Chinese person, it is traditional to present the item in a beautiful package. You may use ribbons, bows, and wrapping paper of any color. However, red represents good luck, gold represents money and fortune, and pink and yellow represent joy. Also, giving someone a present in plastic grocery bags is inappropriate.
Birthdays, Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), and the Mid-Autumn Festival are China’s three most critical gift-giving times. Gifts aren’t just for the holidays; they’re also great for birthdays, anniversaries, new babies, new homes, even your closest coworkers, etc. Also, you can give Chinese people gifts when dealing with government officials, clients, and potential business partners.
Five gifts you shouldn’t give to Chinese
1. Sharp objects
Sharp objects are often associated with cutting ties with an individual. Since this can be interpreted negatively, it is generally advisable to refrain from giving presents of sharpened items such as knives or scissors during Chinese New Year. “One slash, two parts” is a typical Chinese idiom for the ending of a connection.
2. Cut flowers
Do not cut flowers as gifts during Chinese New Year because they are more commonly associated with funerals. White or yellow flowers, such as chrysanthemums, are widely associated with a funeral. White is the color of grieving in China, despite being the most frequently associated with weddings in other cultures. If you’re planning on giving flowers as presents, keep the following in mind:
- You should think about the kind of flower you’re buying. For example, the carnation is a flower reserved for mothers and not for female romantic partners.
- What color is the flower
- Think about the person who gets the flower.
3. Wallets
Giving someone a wallet is a bad omen in Chinese culture since it represents losing one’s financial resources and good fortune. But giving a wallet as a present to a spouse or other family member with whom you share financial records and money is not an issue.
4. Pears
On Chinese New Year, it is traditional to give fruit gifts, but pears are not appropriate. Moreover, the term for pears has close etymological ties to the word for departing, so they can be interpreted as a farewell present.
5. Clocks
It is considered inappropriate to offer a clock as a present, especially to an older person, because it constantly reminds them of how quickly time passes. There is a striking resemblance between the word clock and the word for participating in a burial rite. Chinese culture highly disapproves of giving a watch or clock as a gift.
Why is gift-giving important to Chinese culture?
It’s common to offer presents as a way to reaffirm or develop relationships, which implies that the gifts you give say something about both the person giving them and the person receiving them. In Chinese culture, you can express your thoughts, respect, and gratitude toward Chinese people by giving them a gift.
The value of gifts to Chinese
Giving a Chinese gift is a crucial way to demonstrate respect for an elder or superior, but it is also an expression of dedication and passion for keeping in touch with loved ones. Therefore, it would be best to understand the rules for giving Chinese gifts ingrained in Chinese culture.
Although opening a present in the giver’s presence in Chinese culture is considered rude, specific individuals may make exceptions if asked. In Chinese culture, the intention behind it is more important than the actual item given.
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