Christmas Gift-Giving Etiquette in Chinese Culture

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Want to give the perfect Christmas gift to your Chinese friends and colleagues? Chinese culture has unique gift-giving customs that blend with modern Christmas traditions. Here's your guide to choosing appropriate gifts and presenting them the right way!

Most Popular Gifts

The red envelope 红包 (hóngbāo) has become increasingly popular for Christmas giving, especially for children or at office parties. While traditionally given during Chinese New Year, this monetary gift is now welcome during Christmas too.

Red envelope, noun, 红包

  1. My teacher gave me a red envelope for Christmas.
    老师给了我一个圣诞红包。
    lǎoshī gěi le wǒ yí gè shèngdàn hóngbāo.
  2. Don't forget to prepare red envelopes for the kids.
    别忘了给孩子们准备红包。
    bié wàng le gěi háizi men zhǔnbèi hóngbāo.

Gifts to Avoid

The clock 钟表 (zhōngbiǎo) is a classic example of a gift to avoid in Chinese culture. While a beautiful clock might seem like a lovely Christmas gift in Western countries, in Chinese the word for "giving a clock" sounds similar to "attending a funeral."Other gifts to avoid include sharp objects (like knives), handkerchiefs (associated with goodbye and sadness), and anything in sets of four (as the number sounds like "death" in Chinese).

Clock, noun, 钟表

  1. Don't give clocks as gifts in China.
    在中国不要送钟表做礼物。
    zài zhōngguó bùyào sòng zhōngbiǎo zuò lǐwù.
  2. She returned the clock to the store.
    她把钟表退回商店了。
    tā bǎ zhōngbiǎo tuìhuí shāngdiàn le.

Giving Blessings

The blessing 祝福 (zhùfú) is an essential part of Chinese gift-giving culture, especially during festive seasons like Christmas. It's not just about the physical gift - the words and wishes that accompany it are equally important.

Blessing, noun, 祝福

  1. I wrote a Christmas blessing on the card.
    我在卡片上写了圣试祝福。
    wǒ zài kǎpiàn shàng xiě le shèngdàn zhùfú.
  2. Everyone shared their blessings at the party.
    大家在派对上分享了祝福。
    dàjiā zài pàiduì shàng fēnxiǎng le zhùfú.

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