Chinese Gift Giving Superstitions – Are You Giving the Right One?

If you are looking for the perfect gifts for your loved ones and friends, do take extra caution with you choose because your gifts may have hidden meaning behind it in the prospective of Chinese Tradition

6 Chinese Gift Giving Superstitions

1. Do not give an empty wallet or purse because it symbolise the lack of prosperity and fortune. If you want to give, you can choose the suitable one for the recipient and filled with cash that has auspicious meaning (like $88, 168). This is to wish the recipient with overflowing wealth and good fortune.

2. This is an important taboo if you are giving to someone, especially your loved one. Do not give knives or any sharp items because these carry the representation of cutting the relationship.

3. Giving gifts that display time, like clocks and watches is a NO NO too, because they symbolize stealing time and a limited life span. In Chinese tradition, they are also consider unlucky because the chinese word has the same meaning of sending a dead person.

4. Some people like to receive plants as gift but do take note if you are giving one. What are the plants to avoid? Cactus, plants with spikes and thorny roses because the symbolise piercing and hurting the relationship. Try to give a living plant and here is a list with auspicious meaning.

5. Never give shoes or umbrella as a gift because they both symbolise separation

6. In tradition, handkerchiefs are considered as gift of negativity because they are being used to wipe away sweat and tears, which symbolise lot of sadness and frustration, so it will generate negative energy to the recipient.

If you happen to receive such items as gift, you can give back the giver a coin to symbolize that you purchase the item.