Gift Giving
Gift giving is symbolic in every culture. In Canada, giving a gift
to business associates and colleagues is often a sign that you respect the
effort made to visit you and to signify something about the relationship—its
beginning, the continuity, or the forging of a new aspect to the relationship.
While these underlying motives can apply across cultures, the actual gift given
is often quite symbolic and can create anxiety for hosts of international
visitors.
What is the right gift? And what do you do if you receive a gift?
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Some cultures place
emphasis on numbers and colors. For example in China, giving gifts in
single or odd numbers can imply loneliness or separation, while gifts
given in pairs are highly appropriate, as it equates to good luck. Colors
and the way a gift is wrapped can also hold a great deal of significance.
- Some categories of
gifts may offend certain cultures. For example, a letter opener looks like
a knife and implies severing a relationship to a visitor from Japan or
Latin American countries. Cows are sacred in India, so you should avoid
leather gifts. The word for clock in Mandarin sounds like the word for
death, so clocks are generally not given to Chinese people. Remember that
not all visitors from these cultures will be offended; use your best judgment
or ask someone from the same culture for advice.
- Keep in mind that the
recipient will have to transport the gift back home. It is best to avoid
heavy, burdensome gifts.
- Don’t expect that the
visitor will open the gift in front of you. Cultures vary in the custom of
whether a gift is opened in front of the giver. Do not force a visitor to
open a gift, though you can encourage the visitor by explaining it is
customary in Canada to open a gift right away. If you aren’t sure what to
do with a gift given to you, ask, “Is this something I should open now?”
