6 Dos and Don’ts: Gift Giving Etiquette in Hong Kong
May 2021 | 5 Mins Read
Hong Kong is an international city where many cultures meet. On this blog post, we would like to share with you some common Dos and Don’ts when it comes to gifting in Hong Kong and answer some of the wonders you might have when it comes to getting a gift for a friend from Hong Kong.
Do: Give and receive gifts with both hands
When you are giving a gift with both hands, it shows your recipient that you are humbly and respectfully gifting the present and hoping they will accept. Likewise, when you are receiving a gift, receive it with both hands to show your appreciation gracefully. This etiquette also applies when it comes to business cards exchanges.
Do: Bring a gift with you when you are visiting
If you have been invited to your host’s home for a meal, always bring a gift with you. There is a Cantonese phrase “daai loeng so ziu” 帶兩梳蕉 which literally translates in English as bringing two combs of bananas. It is an analogy referring to people who visit the host with their bare hands (Ever think of your hands looking like bananas? Here you go!). While many hosts will not be expecting a gift from you, bringing a small gift would definitely be a nice gesture to show your gratitude for their invitation and thank them for preparing a meal for you. If you are about to attend a lunch or dinner hosted by a friend in Hong Kong, read 6 Hong Kong Dining Etiquette Tips You Should Know.
Do: Wrap your gift in red and Avoid the colour white
Wrapping gift in bright, happy colours gives a message that you are sending blessings and happy vibes to your guest. If you are not sure which colour to go with, you won’t go wrong with red which is a colour that symbolises luck and fortune in Hong Kong. White is a colour that symbolises peace in the modern world and is a colour loved by many minimalists. However, white or black are colours traditionally used for the funeral purposes in Hong Kong. While many people wouldn’t mind receiving a gift wrapped in white or black, it is best to avoid it especially when it comes to gifts for a senior’s Birthday celebrations or gifting during Lunar new year.
Don’t: Give a clock or a pair of shoes
(But there is a work-around on this!)
You are probably wondering the reason behind this. There is indeed nothing wrong with these items.
In Cantonese, the way you say “clock giving” has a very similar pronunciation to attending a funeral of a senior family member. Similarly, the pronunciation of shoes has a similar pronunciation to the Cantonese phrase “ hai hai san” which is a somehow negative phrase hence people don’t want their blessings to others to turn into something negative.
Who would say no to a finely handcrafted wooden clock or a pair of beautiful custom handmade shoes though? There is a workaround on this! If it’s a gift to a close friend, people would ask for a dollar on the item for the sake of “Just in case” so literally they are not wishing their recipients to have bad luck but instead selling a beautiful item to them. People sometimes would also say “bak mou gam gei” 百無禁忌 when they are gifting these two items to express there are no taboos at all!
Don’t: open the gift in front of the giver
Opening a gift in front of the giver is considered as being impolite and disrespectful to the giver. Unless it was requested by the giver to have the gift opened right away, the recipient would usually receive the gift gracefully and have it open when the giver is not around. If you are giving a gift to someone in Hong Kong, don’t feel like they don’t appreciate your gesture if they didn’t have it opened right away. They will most likely have it open at a later time and let you know how much they like the gift when they see you next.
Don’t: Give items in four or has the number four on it
Just like the number 13 in western culture, the number 4 is considered bad luck in Hong Kong as the pronunciation of four is similar to the pronunciation of the word death in Cantonese. Many people in Hong Kong believe that good things come in pairs so giving items in pairs would pass a message to your recipients that you are giving them some extra blessings.
Bonus: Frequently asked questions on gifting in hong Kong
Should I ready a gift for the Lunar New Year?
Good question! While celebrating Lunar New Year is as big as celebrating Christmas in western countries, there is a slight difference when it comes to gifting. Traditionally, people will bring a gift to the host when they are invited to their place during the first 16 days of the lunar calendar month. Remember, wrap your gift in red to wish the host good luck in the new year. Many local married couples would also follow the tradition and bring gifts to the senior members of their family. Boxes of sweets, biscuits, or noodles are some common lunar new year gift selections. If you are meeting a colleague for lunch or catching up with a friend, it is not a common practice to ready a gift for the lunar new year.
Why do my friends from Hong Kong always try to refuse to receive my gift to them?
If you are pretty sure you are not giving an inappropriate gift, then their intentions are not to refuse to receive your gift but to politely and humbly receive your gift. Receiving a gift openly when they are presented can sometimes be perceived as being greedy in Hong Kong so people would usually politely refuse it a few times before receiving it. “mm hou haak hei” is what they would usually say in Cantonese which has a meaning of you don’t have to in English. So the next time you are giving a gift to a friend from Hong Kong, just expect a few pushing back and forth of the gift and your recipient will happily accept it with appreciation. If you have tried treating a friend from Hong Kong for lunch or dinner, you would have probably experienced something similar. “mm hou haak hei, mm ho haak hei!”
What kind of gift would be appropriate?
There is no one size fit all answer when it comes to gifting. There are many factors to consider such as the occasions that the gift is for and the relationship between your recipients and you. You may want to avoid giving a very expensive gift. One important thing to keep in mind is that gifting is always about the thoughtfulness behind a gift rather than the amount you have spent on it. Giving a very expensive gift to your recipients will in some way makes your recipients feel uncomfortable and get the pressure that they need to return a gift at a similar value. If your recipients feel it is inappropriate for them to receive the gift, they will reject or return the gift to you (for real!). Not sure what to gift? Read 3 Thoughtful Ways to Thank Someone and Make Them Feel Appreciated
Thank you for being an appreciative reader as always. We hope you enjoyed reading this sharing and seeing the beauty of gift-giving etiquette in Hong Kong. If you enjoyed reading this blog post, you might also enjoy reading 6 Hong Kong Dining Etiquette Tips You Should Know. Please share this blog post with your family and friends. Thank you and we will be sharing with you stories of craftsmanship, culture, and lifestyle again very soon. Until then, take care.
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The Qraftie blog aims to provide you stories related to craftsmanship, culture and lifestyle around Hong Kong.
