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Submitted by NOTCOT on December 4th, 2008

There are so many beautiful and crazy clocks out there ~ alarm clocks that trigger LED lights to help plants grow, exposed-gear timepieces, a Rubik’s Cube clock … However, in Chinese culture, it is considered bad luck to get a clock or a watch as a gift. Getting a clock as a gift is interpreted as the gift giver counting down to the recipient’s death. Also, the spoken word for “clock” in Chinese sounds similar to a phrases relating to death and funerals. If you didn’t know this cultural taboo and have accidentally offended a Chinese person with a bad luck gift, there is an out. You just have to allow the person to give you a small amount of money so that the item is no longer considered a gift.

Submitted by NOTCOT on December 10th, 2008

An *insert high quality brand here* super awesome multitool is something everyone needs, and would theoretically make a really sweet gift, especially engraved and personalized … except when it’s not. Japanese, Latin American, Chinese and Muslim people are diverse in customs and culture. But one thing they have in common is the belief that knives (or anything with a sharp edge) are offensive gifts representing the severing of a relationship. Aside from the cultural symbolism, many people could perceive a knife as an aggressive or threatening object to receive on a happy, gift-giving day!

Submitted by John Battelle on December 10th, 2008

Every single year I get a shirt from my mom. It’s the kind of shirt I really liked…when I was in high school. Every single year I say “Thanks!” but I think the “Gee” is getting more and more evident…I think this year I need to figure out how to say…Gee, Mom, this is great, can my son have it?! He’s almost in high school!

Submitted by Michael on December 14th, 2008

I have an aunt who has no concept of what’s appropriate, gift-wise. One year, when I was in college, she sent me underwear with my college’s mascot on it.

Now, setting aside the weirdness of getting underwear from your aunt… She lived in another state. I was *in college* at the time. Which means that she went to the trouble of ordering underwear from the college I was attending, having it delivered to her hundreds of miles away, and then sending it back to me, where I was living three blocks from the store she ordered it from. And this was pre-internet. She probably had to research it, call long distance, etc. Amazing.

photo by chadmagiera

Submitted by Boy Genius Report on December 4th, 2008

When I think back the countless numbers of gifts that I have gotten, many stand out in my mind as those “wow, this is just what I needed” presents, and then there are those that make me shriek every single time I think about them. The one gift that makes me wish so much that I could turn back time and erase one 5 minute segment of my life is the day that my friend gave me a laptop.

I know, a laptop might not sound bad at first — in fact, I am sure that most of you reading this have already asked for a brand new laptop on your wish lists for the upcoming holidays. But once you hear my story, you will be surprised to say the least. READ THE REST…

Submitted by Alexis on December 5th, 2008

I really like to cook and happen to love Japanese food. It’s not uncommon for friends and family to give me cooking-related items like a nice set of knives or a cookbook.

The funniest and most interesting gift of all time, was the set of 6 specialty soy sauces flown in from Japan. It turned out to be a great gift – interesting, useful and tasty, but still makes me wonder what about me screams “I need gift-wrapped sodium!”

Submitted by The Bargainist on December 8th, 2008

One in three people say they feel stressed out during the holidays, according to Gallup. My theory is that the Christmas stress comes from finding the perfect gift. There’s a lot of pressure in gift giving. Will they like it? Will they hate it? Will they return it? Will they treasure it? You see, being a good gift giver says a lot about you as a person. It says that you listen well, are thoughtful, understanding, and caring.

Think about when you get a really great gift—it makes you feel good, right? Now think about when you get a gift that makes no sense. Not only do you have to fake liking it, but you have a resonating feeling of how little this person actually knows you. Shouldn’t your mom know what size sweater you wear? Shouldn’t your grandma know that you are allergic to wool? Shouldn’t your granddaughter know you hate frogs?

Yes, she should.

In my defense my grandmother and I have never lived in the same town. Miles always separated us. I’m sorry to say months have passed without any communication between us. But I always felt Christmas was my chance to shine. It was my opportunity to be a good granddaughter—my chance to show how thoughtful, understanding and caring I was.

Years ago my sister and I discussed what to get Grandma for Christmas. My recollection tells me it was my sister’s suggestion to add to Grandma’s frog collection. So frogs became our annual holiday gift theme. Frog socks, frog figurines, frog candles, frog pajamas, frog mugs, frog slippers, frog pens—if this woman liked frogs than darn-it, she would be surrounded by them 24-7. READ THE REST…

Submitted by NOTCOT on December 18th, 2008

Flowers are a no-brainer gift, right? Well, like most gifts, they can get a little complicated. In Europe, it is considered bad luck to get an even number of flowers as a gift. White flowers symbolize death in Japan, and white chrysanthemums are mainly used for funerals in Belgium, Spain, China and France. In the states, we think of yellow as the color of friendship. However, yellow flowers symbolize death in Mexico and infidelity in France. Flowers have traditional meanings associated with them in U.S. culture as well. Each flower has a meaning. Most of them are positive, but there are some surprise negative meanings. Marigolds symbolize cruelty and jealousy. Snapdragons symbolize deceit. Hydrangeas are “heartless,” and foxglove is “insincere.”  Of course, not all flower meanings are negative. For instance, the gardenia means “secret love.” Probably not the message you want to send to your boss, mother-in-law or accountant.