July 29, 2015
Each country has its own customs and culture, which must be respected and taken into account while staying in it. Before traveling to an unfamiliar state, it is worth learning a little about the customs and mentality of its inhabitants, so as not to get into various unpleasant situations. Sometimes you want to give something to local residents as a sign of your gratitude for a good reception. In such cases, you must first find out what can be given here and what cannot. IN different countries There are restrictions on gifts.
What can't you give as a gift in Japan? In Japan, you cannot give any things or objects in quantities of four or ten. These numbers should be avoided in a gift because in Japanese the words “four” and “ten” are very similar to the words “death” and “pain”. There is one more nuance - never give your gift to the Japanese in wrapping paper white, as this color is considered the color of mourning in Japan.
In China, you should not give flowers when visiting. If you come to a Chinese man's house, it will be very rude of you to give flowers to the owner of the house. The Chinese will take your flowers as a sign that their house is not beautiful enough and that it needs to be decorated, so their guests do it themselves. Just like in Japan, in China the number four and the color white should be avoided in gifts.
Arab countries have their own restrictions on gifts. In Arab countries you do not need to give:
- things made from pigskin;
- things with an image of a person or dog;
- alcohol.
You should not give anything to the wife of the owner of the house; in Arab countries this sign of attention on your part will be considered indecent.
Don't give perfume as a gift in France. In France it is not customary to give perfume as a gift married women, only their spouse can give this gift here.
In Spain you cannot give a bouquet of thirteen flowers. In Spain, you should avoid the number thirteen in a bouquet of flowers that you want to give as a gift to a resident. Also, the Spaniards do not like simple and not extravagant gifts.
In Hong Kong, giving watches as a gift is taboo.. In Hong Kong, local residents should never be given a watch as a gift.
Mexico and flower gifts. Despite the fact that in Mexico flowers are considered a wonderful gift, when choosing a bouquet you need to remember that it is not customary here to give marigolds or any red flowers. And you can’t give a Mexican a shampoo or other hair care product. Such a gift will be calculated as a hint of insufficient hair, and therefore of insufficient masculinity.
In Germany they do not give sharp objects as gifts.. In Germany, it is not customary to give sharp objects - knives and scissors. They also don’t give very expensive gifts here, so that a valuable gift would not be regarded as a bribe. Even in Germany, it is not advisable to give any stationery as a gift. The Germans consider such a gift as a hint of such a bad character trait as unpunctuality.
In Switzerland you cannot give chrysanthemums and lilies as gifts.. White chrysanthemums and lilies are not given as gifts in Switzerland; these flowers are brought here only for funerals. Residents of Switzerland should not yet be given a bouquet of red carnations or roses; such a bouquet symbolizes romantic intentions.
In Thailand people don't give gifts with their left hand.. If you want to give a Thai a gift, be sure to present it only right hand, you cannot give gifts with your left hand in Thailand.
In India it is not customary to give white flowers.. When you want to give a bouquet of flowers in India, remember that white flowers are not given here. Also, for religious reasons, gifts made from pigskin cannot be given in this country.
In Israel they do not give valuable gifts.. In this sunny country it is not customary to give expensive gifts. If you are giving a gift in Israel, then when choosing it, look at the price - no more than $20.
In Ireland you can't give lilies as a gift.. In Ireland, lilies are only for religious holidays, so these magnificent flowers cannot be given. Also, when choosing a gift for an Irishman, you should keep in mind that it should not contain white or red flowers.
What don't they give in Greece? In Greece, flowers and fruits are considered the most undesirable gifts, because they may be from last year's harvest, which means they will not be able to bring something new into the house.
In Libya, living creatures are not given as gifts.. In Libya, there is a belief that if a gifted living creature gets sick and dies, its soul can drag its owner along with it. Therefore, in Libya, living creatures cannot be given as gifts.
Don't give hats in Canada. If you want to give a gift to a Canadian, the most important thing is not to give him a hat; in this country, this gift is considered as a hint of a lack of intelligence.
In Rus', various superstitions associated with gifts have long existed. Some were born in the pagan past, others - already in the era of Christianity. In particular, it was believed that some items should not be given as gifts.
Picked flowers
In pagan times in Rus' it was not customary to give fresh flowers as a gift. It was believed that, left without roots and nutrition, a plucked flower could drink vitality from other living beings.
Such flowers were considered a symbol of death; they were brought only to graves. The tradition of giving bouquets of fresh flowers and decorating rooms with them came to us from Byzantium only with the introduction of Christianity.
Nowadays, it is only forbidden to give an even number of flowers, since according to superstition this means that a person’s days are numbered, therefore flowers in an even number are brought only to the cemetery.
Shawls and towels
The fact is that these items are associated with funeral symbols. In the old days in Rus', those who carried out the coffin were given new towels, and the rest were given scarves to remember the deceased. And in our time, such gifts remain undesirable - the superstitious believe that they bring tears.
Slippers
This sign arose in relatively late times, when people began to wear wrist watch. People have always had a special relationship with watches - after all, they keep time human life. It turns out that this is a hint that the time allotted to a person is limited.
And in Rus' they believed that if a man gives a woman a watch, or vice versa, a woman gives a man, then they will soon separate. True, the sign did not seem to work for wall clocks, grandfather clocks or alarm clocks.
Piercing objects
According to legend, knives, daggers, scissors, forks, pins cannot be given as gifts. In the old days they believed that sharp objects attracted evil spirits, so such a gift can bring quarrel, discord or any kind of trouble into the house.
Mirrors
Mirrors have long been associated with the supernatural sphere; they believed that otherworldly forces could penetrate into our world through them. In addition, bioenergetics experts claim that mirrors have the ability to store information about the objects and people around them.
In Rus' they believed that if you often look in the mirror, you will quickly age. A broken or cracked mirror promised seven years of misfortune.
Pearl
In Rus' they called it “the tears of a mermaid.” According to legends, young drowned girls turned into mermaids. It was believed that pearls or jewelry made from them would bring someone else's tears to the person who received such a gift.
Bird images
In Rus', birds were believed that a bird flying into a window prophesied someone’s death. The Russians also believed that human souls could turn into birds. Therefore, figurines depicting crows, magpies, pigeons, herons and other birds were not a welcome gift. According to legend, they brought sadness to the house.
Empty dishes and wallets
Gifted empty containers, according to legend, promised losses and financial failure to the owners. Therefore, it was necessary to put at least a coin in a cup or wallet to attract wealth.
Dowry for a newborn
This sign is still relevant today. Particularly superstitious people do not prepare a dowry for a child until he is born. Also, you should not give parents rompers, blankets, baby dishes or toys before the baby is born.
This superstition is probably associated with high infant mortality rates in the past. The child could have been stillborn or died immediately after birth, in which case the dowry would have been of no use. In addition, in the old days they believed that donated items could be possessed by an evil spirit that would disturb the newborn.
Icon or cross
It is believed that such gifts can only be accepted from close people. If an icon or cross is not given from a pure heart, it is believed that they can attract failures into a person’s life. In the old days, such gifts could only be given by parents, close relatives, godmothers and fathers.
If you really want to give a person something from the “forbidden” list, then you should ask for a symbolic payment for it - at least small money. It is believed that then Bad sign won't work.
On the eve of the coming New Year, I decided to write such an article. The holidays are approaching and now is the time to pay tribute. old tradition and prepare gifts for relatives and friends. Some consider the process of giving to be a tired convention, a relic of ancient rituals, and therefore begin it without much enthusiasm. And someone doesn’t think about it at all why give gifts, but simply does it solely out of respect for tradition. Meanwhile, the gift carries a very important social function, I will talk about this in this article.
Also, when we figure out why gifts are needed at all, let's talk about what should the gift be?.
Why do they give gifts?
In the very act of giving, the most important thing is not the gift itself as a material thing, but the feelings and motives that stand behind it. This could be care, participation, attention, love, friendship, a desire to improve relationships, apologies, etc. A gift is only a material embodiment of these positive emotions; it can serve as a pleasant reminder of them to another person. With a gift we show, among other things, attention. And this means not only that you remembered some person on some holiday and decided to congratulate him.
This expresses your participation, ability to listen and feel the other person. A good gift, chosen to suit the tastes and desires of the object of donation, indicates that you have taken into account all the little “wants” of the other person (I don’t mean direct hints like “oh, what a fur coat I want like that,” but some harmless wishes, said without any intention) that you listened to him, took part in what he said, and did not ignore his words, thinking only about yourself and your own.
A gift is a symbol of empathy. People love to be shown attention and listened to, which is why they love good gifts tailored to them. This is the meaning of giving, you make it clear to the other person that you are with him, remember him and do not stand somewhere on the sidelines, indifferently looking at his life, caring only about your own. The act of giving is a strengthening of social relationships: love, friendship and family ties.
And the New Year is a great reason to at least temporarily stop thinking about yourself and think about others. Take a break from obsessing over own desires and put yourself in the shoes of your loved ones. Think about what gift would suit them. But what should the gift be??
What should the gift be?
The highest grace in this matter will be to guess the hidden, unexpressed desires of another person and anticipate them with an excellent gift! For example, your friend loves music passionately, but has never thought about playing a musical instrument, it just never occurred to him, and then suddenly you give him a brand new piano, guitar or flute. This can make a person very happy, since such a gift marks new stage in the interests of the individual, precedes a new hobby, which, perhaps, will remain with her for the rest of her life, and is not just another little thing.
A good gift will be something that matches the tastes and desires of the person to whom you are giving it. Otherwise, he will not express all the attention and participation that he can demonstrate. This gift is best suited for loved one, for friend. It never hurts to make inquiries about this person’s wishes by talking with his loved ones, maybe you can come up with some kind of joint gift that he will be delighted with.
If you can’t find anything to suit your tastes, then just some original thing will do. A proven formula for an excellent gift is “what he (she) wants (or would want if he knew about such a thing), but would never buy it for himself.” That is, such a thing should have the character of some excess. For example, abstract Vasya, of course, would not refuse a wider monitor for his computer, but for now he is satisfied with the one he has - a small one. In order to save money, he does not want to spend money on something that he already has, which is simply of better quality. But if they gave it to him, it would come in very handy and he would be very happy about it.
It can be all sorts of not entirely practical, but pleasant things or even services: a coupon for a massage, a parachute jump or a flight on an airplane (just make sure that the one you give it to can withstand such an extreme), a flight in a wind tunnel, some kind of something decorative, a beautiful thing, a cool accessory for a computer, tablet or phone...
If you really can’t surprise someone with a gift, then give them at least something. For many, it’s really not that important what you give them, the main thing for them is just congratulations: especially for your elderly relatives and grandparents. Original gift This is of course good, but not important in every case.
And remember, a gift not only demonstrates your participation and attention, but also your concern for the mental well-being and health of another person. Therefore, even if your friend or relative is a heavy drinker, there is no need to give him another bottle that he will happily finish during the holidays. I believe that a gift, no matter how pleasant it may be, should not be harmful to health and you, as its giver, should not encourage unhealthy addictions of your loved ones.
So give gifts to show your love to your loved ones and bring at least a little creativity, ingenuity and diligence into the process. And I congratulate you on the upcoming holidays. Wait for new New Year's articles!
The purpose of any gift is to bring joy to the person for whom it is intended. However, even in such a pleasant matter as choosing and presenting a souvenir, there are rules. Gift etiquette regulates what gifts are suitable for a particular occasion, as well as the behavior of the giver and the recipient. Even taking into account the modern abundance of trade, many are perplexed by the choice of souvenirs for relatives and business partners. We propose to understand in more detail how, among the variety, to find the very thing that will please a person and will be quite appropriate for a certain occasion.
To whom is it customary to give gifts?
Any surprise is designed to express your attitude towards the person. But presenting souvenirs to strangers, gift etiquette does not recommend, even if you like them. Your actions can put the recipient in an awkward position. We are not talking about small offerings, like a box of chocolates or chocolates. Sweets presented to the administrator at a hotel or the young lady at the reception of a fitness center are simply a sign of good upbringing. Otherwise, give gifts better friends and relatives.
What is customary to give
The choice of gifts for your loved ones is determined solely by their preferences and your imagination. The list of what can be given as a gift is very extensive, it includes:
- Jewelry,
- Computer and household appliances,
- Dishes,
- Decor items,
- Expensive alcohol
- Tourist packages,
- Watches and jewelry,
- Toys and souvenirs.
It should be taken into account that flowers are not a gift, but serve only as an addition to it. The importance should not be underestimated original packaging. Even an inexpensive souvenir, presented beautifully, will make a pleasant impression on the person for whom it was intended.
What is customary to give to close relatives?
Family members are those whom you know best. In addition, when choosing a gift, it is quite possible to unobtrusively ask what the person wants to receive. If the goal is a surprise, then something related to a hobby would be a good gift. For example, dad, an avid fisherman, can buy a spinning rod. For my sister who is interested in photography, a high-resolution camera. A brother who loves to go hiking will definitely need a quality backpack. A good gift for relatives would be a trip to a sanatorium, clothing and household items.
You should not give a woman perfume if you are not sure that it is her favorite scent. You should also be careful with linen and clothes. Even if you know your size perfectly and understand fashion, the item may not fit or fit into your wardrobe. It is considered indecent to present kitchen utensils, such as frying pans and pots, to your mother or wife. A birthday gift must be personal so that only the recipient can use it.
What to give to the parents of the bride or groom
Meeting future relatives is an exciting moment. Everyone wants to make a good impression. In addition, it is not customary to come to visit empty-handed. However, it’s also not worth trying to impress with its breadth of scope. You should not present it to the mother of the bride when meeting you jewelry or souvenirs purchased for the occasion. An expensive offering in this case is unlikely to be appropriate, even if you are a wealthy person. And with an unnecessary gift you will only show disdain, which is unlikely to raise the authority of your chosen son or daughter in the eyes of future relatives.
A tastefully selected bouquet will be appropriate for any occasion. Along with it, you can grab a bottle of good wine, a basket of fruit, cake or sweets. Tickets to a theater premiere or exhibition will be a sign of attention, if, of course, parents are interested in this. A good present for bibliophiles there will be a book in a gift edition. A beautiful service, a set of glasses, etc. would be quite appropriate.
In order not to rack your brains over what to present to the groom’s parents when you meet, ask your chosen one what his father’s hobbies are. A gift chosen according to the hobby will be regarded as a sign of attention. If the future father-in-law is engaged in business, a diary or an expensive pen would be a completely appropriate gift. For the home handyman a tool or a box to store it will come in handy.
What is the best gift to give to friends?
Choosing a gift for a good friend is not an easy task. You need to focus, first of all, on the interests and preferences of the recipient. You also need to take into account the reason for the gift, the age and gender of the person. If you do needlework, you can make a gift with your own hands. Undoubtedly, the interests of our friends are known to us, which means that choosing an offering will not cause any particular difficulties.
It is undesirable to give money to friends, unless, of course, they themselves asked for it. But even in this case, you should take care to present the gift beautifully. Now you can buy beautiful envelopes for money or original postcards, in which banknotes are inserted. In any case, you need to approach the choice of a souvenir for a friend or girlfriend with all responsibility. The gift must be appropriate and useful for the recipient.
Gifts for work colleagues
Gift etiquette in business deserves special attention. It is customary to present clients or partners of a company with various souvenirs, most often related to the activities of the enterprise. The present, as a rule, is intended to serve as additional advertising. It should be remembered here that expensive offerings can be considered a bribe. Etiquette rules do not recommend presenting individual gifts to higher authorities. The rest of the employees will probably consider this sycophancy.
If it is customary at work to give collective gifts, it is better to participate in such an event financially, entrusting the purchase to one or several employees. Presents are made to colleagues only if it is customary for the team to exchange souvenirs. But in this case, you cannot deprive any of the workers of attention. It’s better to congratulate your friends who work together with you without anyone noticing, rather than showing off your offering to the entire office.
Gifts for children
Choosing a surprise for a child also sometimes confuses relatives or friends, especially those who do not have children of their own. Despite the fact that store shelves are filled with toys, pick up suitable option turns out to be difficult. It is better to consult with the baby’s parents, who probably know what their child dreams of. An educational toy selected according to age will become a fun and useful entertainment for a child. Creativity kits are also well suited for this purpose.
If it's not about infant, then clothes or shoes are not the best choice for a gift. The child is unlikely to appreciate them, and your goal is to please him. You should not give toy musical instruments; mom and dad will not thank you for this; they will have to listen to the beat of drums or the sounds of a pipe for many days to come.
What is customary to give for a wedding anniversary?
When choosing a gift for a married couple, first find out what kind of anniversary they are celebrating. Each date has its own gift. After a year life together It is customary to celebrate calico. You can present bed linen from this material. The paper anniversary is celebrated in two years. A gift can be a photo album, book, notebooks. On leather anniversary Spouses can be pleased with matching gifts by choosing similar keychains or wallets. The four-year anniversary is usually called flax. They give tablecloths, napkins, and towels for it.
Jewelry as a gift
The tradition of giving jewelry memorable dates goes back more than one century. Jewelry is a wonderful gift for any event, from a wedding to graduation. Jewelry etiquette allows for the presentation of items made from precious metals to both women and men. It is customary to give jewelry in special cases, which can be purchased at jewelry stores.
Jewelry has its own traditions. As a rule, parents buy their first gold item for their daughter when she graduates from school. The husband presents his wife with jewelry in gratitude for the birth of a child, a pair of earrings for a boy, and a ring for a girl. It is customary to celebrate anniversaries with jewelry gifts. married life. On silver wedding give jewelry made of this metal. The ruby anniversary is celebrated with a piece of jewelry that features a stone that symbolizes love.
To please a person, you need to choose a gift in advance, and not in a hurry. A birthday surprise is presented on a specific date. If you don’t have time to visit the birthday person on this day, do it the day before. You need to accept and give gifts with a smile and from the heart. It is indecent to put the gift aside; you should immediately open the packaging and look at its contents. Edible gifts (wine, fruit or) are usually immediately placed on the table.
You should not buy too expensive things; such offerings require a return gift. However, a person may simply not have that kind of money. A gift made specially with your own hands or to order will emphasize a special attitude towards a person. Do not re-gift the gift given, even if it did not suit you.
IN modern world money is good gift, if the recipient himself voiced such a desire. For a wedding celebration, you can present the newlyweds a certain amount, since among the many gifts, your gift may not be original. The newly-made husband and wife will be able to choose what they need.
It is customary to give household appliances or electronics along with a check so that the new owner does not have problems if the device breaks. You can bring an animal into your home as a gift only with the consent of all household members. Please note that the cute puppy that you present to your beloved nephew will have to be looked after by older family members.
When visiting other countries, we sometimes want to give something to the residents of this country, just like that or as a sign of gratitude for a good reception. But each country has its own customs, its own culture, which should certainly be taken into account. Therefore, before traveling to an unfamiliar country, it would be a good idea to read about it. After all, ignorance of the customs and mentality of residents of other countries can lead not only to incidents and embarrassments, but sometimes to serious troubles.
For you, your gift may be just a trinket, a souvenir, but for a local resident of the country it may simply be an outright insult. Therefore, before visiting a gift store, study a small list of things that are not customary to give in different countries.
What can't you give as a gift in Japan?
When handing something to a Japanese person, you shouldn’t expect him to immediately begin to unwrap it and look at it. This should not be considered disrespect for oneself, it’s just that in the land of the rising sun it’s customary; it’s believed that in this way the Japanese show concern, first of all, for you. After all, your present may turn out to be very modest, or even inappropriate. That is why a well-mannered Japanese will never open boxes in front of guests. At the moment when you give a gift, you should hold it with both hands, or with your right, but in no case with your left. Residents of the Celestial Empire should not buy extravagant items, nor should they purchase things or objects in quantities of four or ten, since these words in Japanese sound very similar to the words “death” and “pain”. Superstitions in Japan associated with these numbers are so strong that many buildings simply do not have these floors. You can present your gift in any wrapping paper except white. White color in Japan - the color of mourning.
What should not be given to residents of China?
In the Celestial Empire, over many centuries, a tradition has developed of refusing gifts; it is indecent to accept it immediately and without hesitation, so if your gift is refused, be persistent in order to pay tribute to traditions. In China, unlike Japan, gifts can be opened immediately. In addition, paired items are very popular in China. The fact is that paired clothes in this country symbolize harmony. It is not customary to bring flowers for the holidays; instead of flowers, you can bring something sweet. White, as in Japan, symbolizes mourning, so avoid it. Four is also an undesirable number.
Arab world
In Arab countries, you cannot admire the furnishings of an apartment or the thing you like, because the owner will be obliged to give it to you. You cannot give or bring alcohol, things made from pigskin, or things with an image of a person or dog to the holidays. You cannot give anything to the wife of the owner of the house; in Arab countries this is considered indecent. You can give sweets to children.
European countries
In almost all European countries, environmental protection programs are now quite popular, so if you decide to buy flowers, you need to approach their choice very carefully so as not to accidentally purchase those that are listed in the Red Book. It should be taken into account that in many countries Chrysanthemums symbolize death, and carnations are brought only to funerals and wakes.
In France One of the best surprises is alcohol, and alcohol not made in France, but the French are quite cool about their brands of alcohol. In France, it is also not customary to give perfume to married ladies; only her husband can do this.
In Germany In general, it is not customary to go to visit empty-handed; you must take something with you. The most popular gifts in Germany - inexpensive souvenirs. Souvenirs made with your own hands or brought from abroad are especially valued.
And don’t forget that a gift is just an expression of your feelings, so don’t forget about a smile.
