Chinese New Year is just around the corner, an occasion of feasting, traditional celebrations, and generosity.

While finding the perfect Christmas gift for your nephew-in-law-twice-removed who you haven’t seen since he was four is tricky enough, in China a slew of cultural differences, traditions and superstitions mean that there is a host of potential pitfalls when picking a present for your ayi or bao’an.

To help you avoid a possible mianzi catastrophe, we’ve rounded up some do’s and don’t’s of gift-giving in China.



Don’t give

Clocks. Clocks of all types should be avoided because 送钟 (sòng zhōng, send clock) sounds like 送终 (sòng zhōng), the funeral ritual. This is very offensive, especially for the elderly.

Umbrellas. Umbrella 伞 (Sǎn) sound like 散 (Sàn, separation) in Chinese, which suggests you want to end a relationship with someone, and is an absolute no-no between lovers.

Shoes. Shoe 鞋 (Xié) is pronounced the same as 斜 (Xié, evil) in Mandarin, so shoes as a gift will bring bad luck. Also in Chinese, there is an expression – “give someone tight shoes to wear”, which means to “make things hard for somebody,” so this is a bad gift choice for a friend.

Anything sharp, like a knife. Knives are always connected with a common saying “一刀两断 yī dāo liǎng duàn”, which means “to make a clear break with someone,” and suggests, like an umbrella, that you wish to end a relationship.

Hats, especially green hats. “Wearing a green hat” in Chinese means that a man’s wife is cheating on him, and could be woefully misconstrued as a hint.

Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemums usually are used to honor the deceased in China.

A mirror. A mirror is not a sign of good auspice in China because it breaks easily. The saying “破镜难圆 Pò jìng nán yuán,” means “after a mirror has been smashed into pieces, it is hard to stick them back together,” and suggests that a relationship can’t possibly be fixed.



Do ...

Present them properly. Wrap your gifts in red or gold, which signify good luck, fortune, and wealth. When you present your gift, use both hands to show politeness and respect.

Stick to cash. The go-to-gift of beleaguered uncles world-wide is not just acceptable in China, but the most popular present. A hóngbāo 红包 (a red envelope with money) is an acceptable gift on almost all festive occasions. Just avoid choosing an amount including the number four (四, sì) which sounds like the character for death (死, sǐ).

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