articles
China Elevator Stories
Weddings And Gifts
I chat with a cab driver in Shenzhen.
21/01/2014
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
When I get into the cab, I tell the driver I need to go to the airport.
He asks me: “Are you flying back home?”
I answer: “No, I’m flying to Kunming. One of my best friends is getting married.”
He then wants to know: “Do you have a tradition of giving gifts to the couple at their wedding?”
“We do. In the past, when couples would move into their own place after getting married, we traditionally gave them practical presents like furniture or kitchen utensils. Nowadays, we often give money instead, similar to hongbao (红包, little red envelopes with money inside), but without the red envelope.”
He asks: “Do you just shove the money into their hands then?”
I reply: “Oh no, that would be considered quite rude. We also put it into an envelope or something similar.”
“I see.”
Do you have your own gift-giving customs?