Chinese New Year Gift-Giving Guide

The Chinese New Year often comes with festive celebrations to welcome the new beginning with friends and family. While it is true that one does not have to be ethnically Chinese to celebrate the Lunar New Year, it is best to be mindful of the traditions being upheld in the community that does annually celebrates the event, one of which is the gift-giving culture. 

Gift-giving poses a great deal whilst celebrating the Chinese new year. Naturally, it comes with a set of etiquette that you should definitely pay more attention to. From the items you give down to the colors of your wrapping, all details bear a message for the recipients. That’s why learning about these unspoken rules is important. After all, you want to avoid saying things you never mean due to your ignorance, right?

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Wrap your gift in red (or yellow and gold)

In East and Southeast Asian cultures, red envelopes filled with money, called hóngbāo, are the most common gifts for special occasions such as a wedding, graduation, or the birth of a baby. Likewise, these red envelopes also make an appearance during the Chinese new year celebration. Despite that, no one is obliged to give money as a gift, in fact, it is also common to give each other goods, especially if you know exactly what they want or need. That being said, it is not the content that becomes an issue, but the color.

Color in Chinese tradition goes beyond mere decorations, it bears meaning or in the case of gift-giving; wishes for the recipients. The general rule of thumb is to go with red, yellow, or gold since they represent wealth and prosperity. These colors should appear as the color of your gift or at least the wrapping paper or bag in which it is delivered. On the contrary, you should avoid colors such as; white which symbolizes funerals, and black or blue as they are synonymous with death.

Pick the right numbers (the best number is 8)

Another crucial consideration when giving someone a gift for the Chinese new year is the numbers because the Chinese have held a superstition towards the meaning of numbers. For example, generally the number four is a bad omen since the pronunciation of 四 (four) is very close to 死 (death). With the exception of the number four, other even numbers are a safe choice. Although you might want to pick the number eight since it is considered to be the luckiest number in China.

The way it is implemented in the gift-giving culture is simple. If you are giving someone money, never give in an amount that includes the number four and the best amount to give is always 88. Whilst with material goods, it should be applied to the number of items present in your gift. For example, a tea set which consists of four teacups will most likely offend the recipient while eight postcards is obviously the better choice.

As long as you follow these two rules, then you are good to go and join the celebration. At the end of the day, the universal rule of gift-giving has always been how much thought you put in. If you are sincere and mean well with your gifts, others will never fail to notice your efforts and wishes. Finally, Talentvis is wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year. May the Year of the Tiger bring you happiness, longevity, and good fortune!

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