ET Speaks From Home

Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way

  • Chinese Culture & Festivals
    • Chinese Culture & Superstitions
    • Chinese Cuisine
    • Chinese Festivals
    • Chinese Wedding
    • Feng Shui
  • Craft
    • Adult Craft
    • Children Art and Craft
    • Chinese New Year Craft
    • Origami
  • Family Life
    • Collaboration
    • Home Improvement
    • Life & Parenting
    • Modelling
    • Printable
    • Sensory Play
    • STEM
    • Summer Activities
    • Tutorial
    • Lichfield Mandarin Club
  • Food & Drink
    • Bake Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • Dessert
    • Drink
    • Food Products
    • Meal Recipes
    • Restaurant
  • Review
    • App
    • Beauty & Health
    • Book
    • Drama, Movie, Theatre
    • DVD & Blu Ray
    • Fashion
    • Game & Board Game
    • General Products
    • Household Products
    • LEGO
    • Nintendo
    • Puzzle
    • Technology & Gadgets
    • Toy
    • Travel
    • Twitter Party / Party
    • Stationery
    • Vlog
  • Giveaway

Gifts to avoid buying for Chinese people

12 March 2014 by Eileen

Last week, I wrote a blog post about Chinese superstitions when entering a hotel room, this week I would like to share some tips of gift ideas to avoid buying for your Chinese friend.  I find that it is sometimes not easy to understand one person culture but by learning through interaction or reading will help each other to understand and live in a better and tolerable environment.

Gifts to avoid buying for Chinese people

These are the gifts to avoid to buy:
1. Clock
Sending a clock (送鐘) in Mandarin sounds like a funeral ritual (送終). Clock also implies time is running out/death.
I do believe this also applies to watches. However, the receiver could counteract this by paying you 1p as in fact they are buying it for themselves.

2. Shoe
Sending shoes to your loved one means you are sending them off to run away with other people or to break-up / go separate ways in a relationship.
This did happen to my friend where her ex-boyfriend gifted her a pair of shoes and within a month she went off with another boy! Oops!

3. Handkerchief
This is a farewell / break up gift, for using it to wipe up the tears.  Luckily, handkerchief is no longer something people buy any way!

4. Umbrella
Umbrella (傘) in Mandarin sounds like split.  If you offer someone your umbrella, always get it back otherwise this will end your relationship.

5. Sharp objects
Sharp objects or pointed items never look great as a gift for it’s symbolism to severing a relationship or to cut them off your life.
I bought a pair of scissors to trim my hand bouquet a day before my wedding and I got an ear blasting from my parents.  They think this will cut off my marriage so they hid all sharp objects on my wedding day including my scissors!

6. Chrysanthemum flowers
These flowers are used in funerals/temples.
I was quite shocked when I first came to the UK and chrysanthemums were used in bouquets with flowers. In much of Asia, we would never include them in a bouquet.
On the other hand, Chinese people use dry chrysanthemums to make herbal teas so chrysanthemums do not always mean bad luck.

7. Green hats
This is for men. Wearing a green hat (帶綠帽) means the man’s wife is unfaithful. People get teased if they wear a green hat, so green hats have never been popular.

8. Mirror
It implies to look at yourself (reflect).
Mirrors are not always a popular household item. For example, they believe mirrors will trap your soul/spirit. So when a person passes away, they cover all the mirrors in the home for 7 days to avoid the mirror trapping the spirit who may come to visit their family member.
They also believe that breaking a mirror will bring seven years of bad luck.

9. Chinese pears
In Asian countries, we never visit empty handed. We will bring a fruit basket, wine or hamper. Pears (梨) in Mandarin mean ‘separate’. So you should never offer anyone half of your pear!

10. Nian guo
Nian guo is a popular dish to cook during Chinese New Year, please read here if you like to know how to make it.
Giving nian guo implies the giver is giving her/his life/year away. So this is not something you would like to give away!

11. Salted duck egg
Salted duck egg in Cantonese mean the person has passed away. So best avoid!

12. Four gifts
The number four has never been a lucky number for Chinese as it sounds like death.

So do you have any gifts that you would avoid buying?

Related

Filed Under: Chinese Culture & Superstitions Tagged With: chinese culture

« Steamed Vanilla Sponge Cake with Sprite
School Uniform Advice for Busy Mums »

Comments

  1. Happy Homebird says

    18 March 2014 at 8:08 am

    Love this information, I like learning new things – will tell my mum about this as she loves reading about Chinese culture.

  2. Charlotte says

    14 March 2014 at 12:31 am

    This is so interesting! My mum used to be really interested in this kind of stuff and totally feng shui-ed our house… she was the same with mirrors too. Really interesting read

  3. Aly says

    13 March 2014 at 11:26 am

    Oh this is so cool Eileen! I wrote about British superstitions last year and it was surprising what people adhere to have good luck.

  4. lisa prince says

    13 March 2014 at 8:29 am

    wow love this, i would have never thought about it x

  5. Sarah Bailey says

    13 March 2014 at 1:55 am

    This is so interesting, I would never have realised some of them could be seen as bad 🙂 x

  6. Charly Dove says

    12 March 2014 at 10:54 pm

    What a great read, I didn’t know this. Such an interesting post, thank you so much for sharing 😉

  7. Agata Pokutycka says

    12 March 2014 at 10:13 pm

    I did hear the one about shoes when I was in NL… apparently you can not give them as a gift but if you take a £1 for them or so, it is ok
    Is it true?

  8. Kara says

    12 March 2014 at 9:26 pm

    I love this list and have been guilty of buying a few of those presents, thankfully not for a chinese person lol

  9. Wild & Grizzly says

    12 March 2014 at 8:07 pm

    That was so interesting! I’ve never heard of most of those before, except perhaps the watch one. I’ll never look at a man wearing a green hat in the same way again. x

  10. Louisa says

    12 March 2014 at 7:30 pm

    Thanks for a really interesting post Eileen. I would hate to give someone a gift that was may be upsetting to the recipient.

  11. fritha strickland says

    12 March 2014 at 7:26 pm

    really interesting! especially about the number four sounding like death! xx

  12. Red Rose Mummy says

    12 March 2014 at 5:59 pm

    I suspect I might just buy you chocolate if I ever need to get you something! It’s interesting to read though!

  13. JoBryan says

    12 March 2014 at 4:34 pm

    This is fab Eileen, I loved your hotel post last week. I am quite sure I will never buy anyone a salted duck egg. I have bought hankies, umbrellas, mirrors, clocks though. Oops!! I do not like chysanths they always seem fussy and old!

  14. thefamilypatch says

    12 March 2014 at 4:29 pm

    This is fascinating! Thank you for sharing this, I’d have never known about any of these without reading this. I love hearing about customs like this.

  15. You Baby Me Mummy says

    12 March 2014 at 4:20 pm

    It is really interesting reading about all these superstitions. I love the way there is so much meaning, even in simple items x

  16. LauraCYMFT says

    12 March 2014 at 4:20 pm

    Wow, interesting read. I know what not to buy you then if we ever meet lol.

  17. Anna says

    12 March 2014 at 3:29 pm

    Always good to know, so I can avoid buying the wrong thing by mistake!

  18. Mummy Glitzer says

    12 March 2014 at 2:49 pm

    How interesting, I had no idea. You Chinese are a superstitious bunch! 😀

  19. Franglaise Mummy says

    12 March 2014 at 2:39 pm

    Having lived in France for 12 years I love hearing about different cultures and traditions. In France you must never give knives (similar to your point above), but it is ok if the person gives you a small amount of money in exchange. Also if you have yellow flowers in a bouquet it means you are being cheated on!

  20. Globalmouse says

    12 March 2014 at 2:13 pm

    I don’t like chrysanthemums as I feel like they are funeral flowers…but that’s mainly as I grew up with my mum saying it!! I didn’t know about any of the others though. Great list!!

  21. Steph (I'm Counting UFOs) says

    12 March 2014 at 2:05 pm

    Wow, I had no idea about any of those, good to know.

  22. Lucie1979 says

    12 March 2014 at 1:29 pm

    Wow this is fascinating to read! Thank you for sharing! I would have no idea!

  23. spicers1976 says

    12 March 2014 at 12:02 pm

    Glad I didn’t bring you flowers when we came to stay now. I very nearly did but we were running so late I didn’t want to ask to stop. I dread to think if I had picked you a bunch with Crysanthemums in

  24. mummyoftwo says

    12 March 2014 at 11:07 am

    Oh you are fussy LOL I will try and remember these if I need to buy you a present! Really interesting post!

  25. Katie Albury says

    12 March 2014 at 11:05 am

    This is so interesting, thank you for sharing! I don’t know about gifts I would avoid giving people, but I’ve been partial to many a gift from people I wish they had avoided giving me…like a bag (which I thought was a hat initially…and yes I put it on) that was covered in what looked like the coat of a sheered sheep…that was a classic! 🙁

    Katie x

  26. Kim Carberry says

    12 March 2014 at 10:22 am

    I have heard about never gifting Handkerchief’s but I didn’t know about the other things…How interesting!

Trackbacks

  1. Chinese Superstition: Umbrella Taboo - ET Speaks From Home says:
    17 May 2023 at 7:03 am

    […] years ago, I wrote an article on Gifts to avoid buying for Chinese People and one of the items is an umbrella. Now I would like to expand on the Chinese superstitions […]

Search

Hello!

Welcome to ET Speaks From Home!

I'm Eileen, a proud mum of two teenagers (aged 17 and 16), my daughter is living with visual impairment. Since launching this blog in May 2012, we’ve continued to grow and evolve, sharing our family’s journey and passions.

I love cooking, crafting, DIY projects, writing about Chinese culture, and creating YouTube reviews.

**Achievements & Recognition:**

* Top 20 UK Parent Blogs (2020)
* Tots100 Top 20 Blog on Twitter (2014)
* Tots100 Top Mummy Vloggers (2015)
* Tots100 Top 20 Vloggers (2016)
* Shortlisted for BritMums Brilliance in Blogging Awards (BiBs), Video Category (2014) Read More…

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Click here to get in touch!

Contact Me here!

Click here for Media Pack!

pr media pack

Archives

Recent Posts

  • Smart Safety: How to Use Tech to Protect Your Lone Workforce
  • Effective Branding Strategies for Outdoor Cultural Events
  • 5 Places To Get The Best Kids Beds
  • Easy Bedroom Upgrades That Make a Big Difference
  • Where to Buy Organic Meat Online: What Matters Most
  • How to Choose a Surveyor for a London Property: 6 Smart Tips
  • Clean Label Supplements: Are They Worth It? What to Look For
  • Checklist for Your First Airplane Trip
  • Luxear Cooling Air Mesh Duvet Review
  • This One Home Addition Could Add Thousands to Your Property Value

Amazon Affiliate

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk and affiliated sites.”

AWIN & ShareASale Affiliate

“We are a participant in the AWIN Program and ShareASale, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to their clients and affiliated sites.”

Google Privacy Policy

By continuing to use this website, you agreed to be bound by the Google Terms of Service. To find out more, see here: Google Privacy Policy

YouTube API Terms & Conditions

By continuing to use this website, you agreed to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service. To find out more, see here: YouTube API Term & Condition For Handling YouTube Data and Content Policy : to store the public data temporarily, but not more than 30 days and the stored data will be either be refreshed or deleted after 30 days.

Copyright

©2012-2025 Eileen Teo unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. You may not reproduce text excerpts or images without my prior permission.

Disclaimer

To find out more, see here: Disclaimer

Privacy Policy

To find out more, see here: Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress