Gift Occasions (outside USA)
Gift Giving (what not to give) – China
Don’t give an umbrella as a gift. In Chinese, the word umbrella sounds very similar to separation, so the gift of an umbrella symbolizes a desire to sever a relationship. Don’t give knives or scissors as gifts, they also symbolize... »
Birthday Customs – Thailand
Traditionally, birthday celebrations begin on the eve of the anniversary and a fortuneteller is enlisted to decide the exact time for the celebration to commence. Before the celebration begins, the house must be cleaned, offerings... »
Birthday Customs – Southern Vietnam
Traditionally, only the first month and first year of a child’s life are celebrated as birthdays. One month after a child is born, friends and family gather to meet the baby and offer prayers for... »
Birthday Customs – Japan
Instead of their own birthdays, children traditionally celebrated Boy’s and Girl’s Day. Girl’s traditionally celebrated the Girl’s Doll Festival on March 3rd, when they would dress up in their best kimonos, and display their special... »
Birthday Customs – Israel
A boy’s thirteenth birthday is the most important, and is celebrated with a special ceremony called a Bar Mitzvah. On a boy’s thirteenth birthday, the Bar Mitzvah ceremony makes him... »