Gift culture
There is a German proverb called "Andere Länder, andere Sitten." which means "different customs in different countries." "Gift-giving, as a common way for Chinese and foreign people to maintain or strengthen their ties with each other, is also an indispensable part of cross-cultural communication between the Chinese and German peoples. However, there are large cultural differences between the two countries in gift-giving, which may cause misunderstandings and even conflicts in cross-cultural communication
There is a German proverb "Other countries, other customs". Gifting as a means of maintaining or strengthening relationships is, of course, an important part of intercultural communication between Chinese and Germans. However, there are major cultural differences in these two countries in this regard, which can lead to misunderstandings and even conflicts in intercultural communication. That's why it's important to know the German gift culture.
送礼原则(Principles)
Germans pay attention to gift-giving, and on important occasions such as Christmas (Weihnachten), Easter (Ostern), Valentinstag (Valentinstag), Mother's Day and Father's Day (Muttertag / Vatertag), etc., as well as important occasions such as birthdays or weddings, or usually invited guests, etc., they will give gifts to show their gratitude. However, German gift-giving is based on the practicality and camaraderie conveyed by the gift, rather than the price of the gift, which is their guideline. This is similar to the traditional Chinese culture of "courtesy and affection", and there is also a corresponding expression in the German proverb, that is, Kleine Geschenke erhalten die Freundschaft.
Germans value gifts, and on important occasions such as Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, Mother's and Father's Day, but also on important occasions such as birthdays or weddings or when you are invited to visit, you usually give as a sign of friendship. However, Germans pay more attention to the thriftiness and practicality of the gift and the friendship conveyed by the gift than to the price of the gift, which is the criterion for gifting. This is similar to our traditional Chinese gift culture, which is also expressed in the German proverb "Small gifts preserve friendship".
送礼建议(Suggestions)
When we visit someone's home (Seien Sie Gast), we don't want to be empty-handed, the safest gift is the same three things: flowers, chocolates and wine. It should be noted that it is rude to give the hostess a bouquet of wrapped flowers, and the flowers sent to the hostess must be an odd number, 5 or 7. Germans are especially fond of cornflowers, which have been designated as the national flower. Roses represent love, roses and chrysanthemums are used to mourn the dead, and tulips are considered to be heartless flowers, so these flowers should not be given away.
When we are a guest at someone's house, we as a guest should never come empty-handed, and the safest gifts are the well-known three: flowers, chocolate and alcohol. It is not polite to give the hostess a bouquet of wrapped flowers. Flowers for the hostess must be in the singular, either five or seven. Germans are particularly fond of the cornflower, which has been named the national flower. Roses represent love, roses and chrysanthemums represent mourning, and tulips are considered callous, so these flowers should not be given as gifts.
cornflower
(Cornflower)
In addition, if the gift is a knife, sword, fork, etc., which is suspected of "severing relations", the other party will give back a coin so as not to hurt the friendship.
If the gift is a knife, a sword, a fork, etc., this will seem to end the friendship. By returning a coin to the recipient, the friendship is not violated.
Also, don't bring wine with you when you visit a German home, as this will show that you think the host's wine selection is not good enough.
And if you visit the Germans, you shouldn't bring wine with you, because that shows that you don't trust the hosts to have a good taste in wine.
When the other party celebrates their birthday, we can make or choose a suitable gift for the other party according to what we know about the other person and his preferences. It should be noted that do not send birthday wishes in advance, it is best to send them on the same day, and it is okay to send late blessings, which is the opposite of China. Because sending birthday wishes in advance in Germany is an unlucky sign.
If it's the other person's birthday, we can choose a suitable gift for the other person ourselves, depending on how well we know the other person and their preferences. It should be noted that birthday wishes are not sent in advance, the day of the best, late wishes are also possible, which is different from China. Because in Germany, it is a sign of bad luck to send birthday wishes in advance.
One of the most insincere but acceptable gifts in Germany is a Gutschein, which can be found at a designated shop to choose a gift of their choice. Gift certificates are never wrong, but they will give people the feeling that they have not been prepared with care, so remember to send them when you really can't think of what to give~
The most disingenuous but accepted gift in Germany is a voucher that allows the recipient to go to a specific store and choose their favorite gift. You can never go wrong with a gift card, but it can give the impression that you weren't carefully prepared for it. So giving away a voucher is considered the last choice.
I would also like to say that we can also give some small gifts with unique Chinese elements, such as panda peripherals, national fans, Chinese pastries, tea, silk, etc., which are very attractive to foreigners~
Regarding the suggestion of sending gifts, I would like to say that we can also send some small gifts with unique Chinese elements, such as panda peripherals, fans with traditional Chinese elements, Chinese pastries, tea, silk, etc.
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Contraindications for remembrance (Tabus)
But not every gift can make the other party happy, just like we Chinese are the most taboo when giving gifts to give things like clocks and watches, Germans also have some gift taboos. In German, this taboo gift has a special word: "Danaergeschenke"
But not every gift makes the other person happy. Just as we Chinese don't like to give away things like watches when giving gifts, the Germans also have some gift taboos. In German, there is a special word for such taboo gifts, which is:
"Danaer Gifts"
(Meaning: a gift that turns out to be detrimental to the recipient.)
The term comes from Greek mythology and describes the story of the Trojan horse. The Greeks, then called "Danaer", hid the soldiers in a large wooden horse, which they then gave to the Trojans. So that they could enter the city, open the gates at night, and take Troy.
Here are some of the "Danaergeschenke":
1.刀具(knife):切断友谊的纽带( cuts bond of friendship)
2.钱包(Purse):出现财务问题(You stay poor.)
3. Shoes (Schuhe): Far away (weg), according to superstition, giving shoes as a gift to someone means that the recipient will run away.
4. Perle: Each pearl represents a tear (Träne), so a wedding dress embroidered with pearls represents a tearful, unhappy marriage and should never be given as a gift.
5.围巾(Scarf):将悲伤带入家中(Bringing Mourning Home)
Etiquette in the gift-giving process
(Etiquette when giving away)
Gifts must be wrapped in beautiful wrapping paper (Geschenkpapier). Of course, many times, when buying gifts in Germany, there is already a layer of packaging on the goods, but it still needs to be wrapped with another layer of exquisite wrapping paper, and the Germans are full of ritual~
When receiving a gift in Germany, you need to open the gift in front of the giver, which shows a kind of respect (Respekt) for the giver, in addition to expressing gratitude to the giver, it is also necessary to add a compliment to the gift is a set of basic etiquette for receiving the gift!
Finally, it is important to understand that under normal circumstances, Germans do not accept gifts from people they are not familiar with, and if they are not familiar with each other and the other party rashly gives gifts, which is too friendly, Germans will feel strange and afraid, and feel that "a pie has fallen from the sky".
What else do you know about "Danaergeschenke", tell the editor in the comment area~~
End
Which:
Differences between Chinese and German gift-giving customs and their causes[J].German Learning,2012,(06):32-38.
https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1740297973616761735&wfr=spider&for=pc
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/XNuBPgkGcR0_VX32E49lnQ
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_zvjYHSkyjAb4IbYCKz5Xg
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-XW5wPXcXDtaQBQtNvpaZQ
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/kMgNRjqFvV4gJtCOOOClRg
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/NJlBwZRazEcKsX1tWdD5sw
Source | Foreign Language Research Society German
Organize & Edit | Zhai Wang
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