Gifts & exchanges

26 cards in this category — of which 26 complete, 0 drafts.

• Giving a clock (Chinese taboo, homophone of death)In China, giving a clock (送钟 sòng zhōng) is a homophone of 送终 ("to accompany a dying person"), a funerary taboo.
  CompleteOffense
• Offering a knife (slicing friendship)The gift of a knife symbolizes the break-up of a relationship. Some ask for a coin to turn the gift into a "symbolic sale".
  CompleteInsult
• Offering a handkerchief (tears)Offering a handkerchief symbolizes the anticipation of tears in Central Europe and Latin America.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Offering chrysanthemums (mortuary taboo - France, Italy)Chrysanthemums are reserved for funerals in France and Italy. Giving them as gifts is seen as a curse.
  CompleteInsult
• Offering yellow flowers (Russian taboo - death)In Russia, yellow flowers symbolize death, infidelity and separation.
  CompleteInsult
• Giving an even number of flowers (funeral taboo, Slavic world)In Russia and the Slavic world, an even number of flowers is reserved for funerals; give an odd number to the living.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Offering lilies (funeral taboo - France)Lilies are associated with funerals in France. Strictly taboo.
  CompleteInsult
• Giving 12 red roses (declaration of love in the West, taboo in Russia)In the West, twelve red roses signal a serious declaration of love - but twelve is an even number, taboo in Russia.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Red wrapping (happiness and prosperity - China)In China, red symbolizes happiness and prosperity - the quintessential festive color, from the Lunar New Year to weddings.
  CompleteCuriosity
• White wrapping (funerary taboo - Japan, China)In China and Japan, white is the color of mourning; a gift wrapped in white evokes death, except for notable exceptions (wedding).
  CompleteInsult
• Purple packaging (mourning - Brazil)Purple/violet packaging = mourning and grief in Brazil.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Writing a name in red ink (Korean taboo)Writing a name in red ink in Korea symbolizes death.
  CompleteInsult
• Opening a gift immediately (Western-Asian misunderstanding)In Japan and China, opening a gift in front of the giver can cause discomfort; in the West, it is the opposite.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Declining a gift before accepting it (Iranian ta'arof, Arab hospitality)Declining a gift before accepting it (Iran: ta'arof; Arab world: karam) is ritual politeness, not a refusal.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Giving an odd number of flowers (Switzerland)In Switzerland, giving an even number of flowers is associated with funerals: always choose an odd number (3, 5, 7, 9) for a host.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Elaborate gift wrapping (Japan)Cultural taboo: gesture or object misinterpreted outside a Western context.
  CompleteCuriosity
• Hongbao - Red wedding envelope (China)Cultural taboo: gesture or object misinterpreted outside a Western context.
  CompleteCuriosity
• Chukgi - Monetary wedding gift envelope (Korea)In Korea, chukgi (축의금) is the white monetary wedding gift envelope: the amount and the guest's name are recorded in a register of social reciprocity.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Alcohol as a gift to a Muslim - Religious offence and halalCultural taboo: gesture or object misinterpreted outside a Western context.
  CompleteOffense
• Perfume as a gift - Saudi sensibilities, alcohol and the oud/musk choiceIn the Gulf, the valued perfumed gift is oud or alcohol-free attar; the taboo around alcohol in Western perfumes is real but often overestimated.
  CompleteInsult
• Sweets for children - piñata and dulces tradition in Latin AmericaThe piñata, a tradition born in 1586 in Mexican Augustinian missions, is the festive symbol of distributing dulces to children in Latin America.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Gift with 4 items - East Asian number taboo (4 = death)Giving a gift in units of 4 in East Asia evokes death: 4 is a homophone of "death" (Japanese shi, Korean sa).
  CompleteInsult
• Tip envelope (Persian Gulf)In the Persian Gulf countries, bakhsheesh is a discreet, socially codified tip -- its absence can offend the service worker.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Offering an umbrella (East Asia)Offering an umbrella in China evokes separation: 伞 (san) sounds like 散 (san, "to separate").
  CompleteInsult
• Offering shoes (bad luck - China)Offering shoes in China evokes bad luck: 鞋 (xie) sounds like 邪 (xie, "bad"), and shoes are made for walking away.
  CompleteInsult
• Giving a pear (separation - China)Sharing a pear in China evokes a breakup: 分梨 (fen li, sharing a pear) sounds like 分离 (to separate).
  CompleteInsult