Cultural Trends: Not All Gifts Are Considered Equal
Gift giving is a meaningful practice around the world. They can symbolize gratitude, love, and compassion. To become more aware of some interesting cultural giving traditions, we will explore various cultural gifting trends in Japan, Italy, Russia, and Egypt. We picked these countries to get a global snapshot of cultural giving trends within Asia, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East/Africa. So, whether you are attending a business meeting in Japan or visiting a friend in Egypt, these are the traditions to consider.
Japan: In Japan, O-seibo (year-end) and O-chugen (midsummer) are the main gift-giving times. When making an initial visit, it is custom to arrive with a small gift. It is polite to offer and receive gifts with both hands, and one must wait until later when the giver isn’t present to open the gift. The Japanese give gifts generally to superiors, subordinates, colleagues, and clients. Traditionally, gifts are re-given with something of comparable or higher value on a different occasion. For instance, February 14th is a day for women to gift the men in their life (colleagues, relatives, or romantic partners) with chocolate gifts. The chocolate takes two forms: Giri-choco (Obligation / Duty Chocolate) and Honmei-choco (Chocolate of Love). In return, every March 14, White day, Japanese men are expected to return the value of their received gifts threefold. These gifts most commonly take the form of white chocolate, white lingerie, cookies, or jewelry.
Italy: In Italy, children don’t receive their gifts on Christmas, but at the beginning of January, on the Feast of Epiphany. According to Italian Folklore, on Epiphany Eve, a festive witch known as the Befana visits Italian children to distribute gifts. On other occasions, Italians appreciate a personal touch when giving social gifts. Children are taught early on to put much thought and consideration when they decide to give someone a gift. Price is almost never discussed or considered because the thought behind a gift is considered more valuable.
Russia: In Russia, it is inappropriate to gift flowers bundled in even numbers, which are reserved for funerals. Likewise, yellow flowers, lilies, and carnations are to be avoided. For instance, yellow tulips are thought to stand for betrayal or signify the end of a relationship. Moreover, thank-you cards are thought of as impractical, instead one should send a small gift to your hosts after dinner or overnight stay.
Egypt: In Egypt, one must always give gifts with the right hand. In addition, it is traditional for gifts to be wrapped twice in Egypt, in two different colors– first in ordinary paper and then again in brightly colored paper. In the United States, flowers are often given as Valentine’s Day gifts, birthday presents, or just simple appreciation tokens; however, in Egypt, flowers are strictly reserved for weddings or get-well presents. It is important to remember to never give the Qu'ran as a gift due to its religious significance.
Discover more on how to send a Memento cash gift for a special occasion on our holiday gifts page or our thinking of you gifts page.
Written by: Ashley Mao, Summer 2019 Intern
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