It is a time specially meant to be spent with the family and loved ones; this is a time for festivity and merriment. The exchanging of gifts is an important part of the occasion. As this is an ancient festival, many Chinese New Year gifts are traditional in nature like, ‘Lai See’ or ‘Hong Bao’ which are the traditional red envelopes, Chinese calligraphy, chopsticks, dragon heads, and bamboo hats. Modern gifts include wines, techno gadgets and gift baskets of different things which can be found in various stores.
One of the most important Chinese New Year gifts is the ‘Lai See’ or ‘Hong Bao’. These are red and gold envelopes which are gifted from a senior to his junior. His seniority may be in the terms of old age, high position in a workplace or even by marriage. Married couples can give these envelopes to those who are not married. These envelopes are a sign of prosperity and well being and are a part of an age old tradition. The Lai See envelopes contain an amount of money and are a gesture of good luck from the senior individuals to their juniors. The amount given as a gift is not fixed but there is a certain tradition of giving an amount which is an even number. The recipients are generally the subordinate employees of an office or young children. This gift is given in different ways in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland china.
Chinese calligraphy is also an excellent choice of Chinese New Year gifts. China possesses a very rich cultural history. China boasts of an enriched and artistic culture and calligraphy that has been a part of it since long. Bright strips of paper can be adorned with the best calligraphy and can be given as gifts. Or these can be printed on various items such as metallic pots, earthen wares or other similar items. Such gifts are always appreciated by the recipients and considered to be the most wonderful gifts.
An important part of the Chinese New Year festival is the lantern festival which signifies the end of the celebration period. The lantern festival is the one where people grace the parade with a dragon dance. So, a nice Chinese New Year Gift could be a lantern which happens to be a very popular gift item. People parade the streets with these brightly lit lanterns and witness the perfect ending to the beautiful festival.
Nowadays, gifting is making a turn towards presenting something of a practical nature to the recipient. Instead of the traditional items, people present each other with latest gadgets, cell phones and even digital calendars. Another gift item which is in vogue is wine. There are different varieties like dry red wine, medium dry wine, and great wall dry wine. All of these are good options for Chinese New Year gifts.
Chinese New Year symbolizes the end of the previous year and signifies a new beginning. Therefore just like the festival, whatever you gift to your dear one will signify a fresh lease on your relationship with the recipient. However it is advisable to keep the preference of the recipient in mind before buying a gift.
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