Chinese New Year Gift Ideas

It is a Chinese tradition to give gifts during the Spring Festival as a kind of love for family, care for friends, and respect and gratitude to leadership. Gifts are only a carrier of these feelings. As the saying goes, the gift is trifling but the feeling is profound and love is priceless. Then, what are the proper gifts for Chinese New Year? In fact, the gifts vary with whom you will send to.

Friends

While visiting a friend, you may choose some fruits or flowers. If your friend likes drink or tea, you may cater to his/her pleasure and choose a tin of good tea or an exquisite tea set. If your friend has children, do not forget to bring them some gifts according to their age, such as toys, school supplies and candies. You'd better prepare a red envelop for each kid to show your love. While visiting a friend far away, you may bring some hometown specialties for your friend to enjoy! For the gifts to friends, there is no need to be extravagant but remember to be thoughtful. For example, it's good to choose some baby products as gifts for a friend who has a baby during the Spring Festival. If your friends just move into a new house, you can send electrical equipment for home use or some beautiful decorations for house.If the New Year is his zodiac year, it's good to send him a Ben Ming Nian Gift to bring him good luck in the New Year.
 

→ Buy Ben Ming Nian Gifts from YourChineseAstrology Store
 

Parents

When it comes to the gifts for parents, the best choice includes thermal underwear, down jacket, scarf and gloves. During the cold winter, your parents will feel quite warm in the clothes you send. To enrich the spiritual world of your parents, you may buy a new phone or tablet. Perhaps what you concern most is the health condition of your parents and you do hope they will be healthy in a new year. So, it’s good to choose health supplements or instruments, such as electronic manometer, massager and electronic foot bath. Besides, household appliances are also good ideas.

 

Wife/Girlfriend

Every woman desires to look attractive, so clothes, shoes, cosmetics and jewelries are a good choice for your wife or girlfriend. If you wish your wife to be more cultured, you may choose one of her favorite books for her, which will be quite special. 
 

Kids

Every kid looks forward to the gifts from parents. You may choose a gift which your kid has been longing for and prepare a red envelop for each kid. When you pay a visit to a friend, you may bring toys, study articles, clothes, candies or milk drinks for the kids of your friend. Or, you may choose a gift box of nuts or cakes to show your kindly feeling.
 

Relatives

For your relatives, you may choose some special purchases for the Spring Festival, such as candies, fruits, roast chicken and duck. For the relatives who like drinking and smoking, you may choose tobacco, wine and tea, and bring the gift box of nuts. Since most of the aged lack of nutrition, you may also choose milk drinks, calcium and zinc supplements or health care products.

Avoid Too Expensive Gift

It doesn't mean the more expensive a gift is, the better it will be. It is the thought rather than the form that counts. If the gift is too expensive, it will make the other embarrassed and feel you are materialistic.

 

Send the Gifts According to One’s Interests

Learn the taste of others and do not choose the gifts disliked by them. For example, do not choose cakes for someone who dislikes.

 

A Special Gift is Good

Choose special gifts. In fact, there is no best but most thoughtful gifts. If you can make the clothes, tablet or phone special, it can better show your heart. For example, you can print your kid's name on the T-shirt for him/her or print a photo on the pillow.

 

Do Remove the Price Tag of the Gift

Do remove the price tag of the gift no matter how much it costs. A gift with price tag is considered impolite because it reminds the other that you have spent a lot.

 

Better Send Gifts in Pairs

Chinese people believe that good things should be in pairs. So, you’d better not take a single gift. A pair of gifts is more polite. Such as two bottles of wines. 

 

Choose the Gift with Nice Wrapping

Choose the gift wrapping carefully. Different with the items for self-use, the good wrapping can further improve the gifts and the principle for giving gifts is choosing the beautiful packing. Red, the favorite color of Chinese people during the Spring Festival, can better show the festive atmosphere. Therefore, red wrapping is the best choice. 

 

Avoid Black or White to Wrap Gifts

Black and white colors are often used at funerals in China. So, it’s very impolite to use these two colors to wrap the gift. 

 

Avoid Necklaces or Belt

Don't give a necklace or belt as a gift to a simple friend. These things are associated with intimate relations and are often given between couples or boy/girlfriends.