Gift-giving custom is a very common cultural phenomenon in today's society. However, due to the cultural differences between countries or regions, the gift-giving customs in different countries are also very different. If in the process of giving gifts in other countries, you still give gifts in your own cultural way without knowing the local culture deeply, it will easily cause people's doubts and misunderstandings [1]. In recent years, with the deepening of international economic cooperation strategy, exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States are increasing. However, there are fundamental differences in cultural values between China and the United States, and the gift-giving customs formed by the two countries are also very different. How to analyze the differences between Chinese and American cultural values through the differences of gift-giving customs has become a topic of great concern to all walks of life. In this regard, the article intends to analyze the differences of cultural values between China and the United States from the perspective of gift-giving customs, aiming at in-depth analysis of cultural differences between China and the United States.
First of all, analyze the gift-giving customs of China and the United States.
1. Gift content
In China, gift-giving has become a social norm. Whether attending some social occasions or visiting relatives and friends, people will prepare some gifts. As the old saying goes, "reciprocity" is a summary of this phenomenon. Due to the influence of traditional ideas, most people in China are reluctant to express their feelings too much in public, so gifts have become a way for both sides to deepen their emotional exchanges. However, China people did not follow the principle that a friend of a gentleman is as light as water; The principle of "ceremony is light and affection is heavy" attaches great importance to the value and grade of gifts when choosing gifts. It is not surprising that China people "take it out" once. This social phenomenon directly led to the emergence of sky-high cigarettes and sky-high wines in previous years. But in America, when people choose gifts, they don't dwell on the value and grade for a long time. On the contrary, China's old saying, "Give a goose feather a thousand miles away, courtesy is light and affection is heavy" is more suitable for American residents. For example, it is too expensive for subordinates to give gifts to their superiors, which will be resisted by the society, and both parties will have a lot of trouble. Therefore, in the United States, most of the gifts people give are flowers, small national flags and handicrafts. In addition, China's customs and habits, such as marriage and full moon for newborns, all use a lot of cash as gifts, while the United States mainly uses the blessings of relatives and friends, and it is not common to send cash.
China residents give gifts with a strong purpose, which can be reflected in many aspects, such as giving gifts to friends to deepen feelings, parents giving gifts to their children to deepen family unity, husbands giving gifts to their wives to preserve their love, and subordinates giving gifts to their superiors to consolidate their position. In addition, after getting help, they will also give each other gifts to express their gratitude. It can be seen that the gift-giving custom in China has a strong purpose. However, in the United States, there is no such strong purpose. After receiving help, Americans will only give each other gifts to express their gratitude, which is more symbolic.
deliver presents
China residents generally do not choose to give gifts in public, but they often appear in family gatherings or private occasions. When giving gifts, regardless of the value of the gift, China people will live a saying: "Small profits don't respect." In China, when accepting a gift, the recipient usually doesn't accept it immediately, but puts it aside after repeated shirking. In most cases, people don't open gifts in front of everyone, but wait until the guests leave before opening them and enjoying them slowly. Even if you open it in front of guests, you won't be ecstatic, and you won't watch and comment on the gift carefully. You think it is impolite to do so, and it will also give people the impression of being stingy, greedy and caring. In the United States, gift-giving occasions are mostly in public places and are delivered directly by the giver. After receiving the gift, the recipient will immediately open the gift, praise the gift, express his love and gratitude, and sometimes even warmly invite other guests to watch and share the joy of receiving the gift. After receiving gifts, Americans usually write a thank-you letter or call a few days later to express their gratitude. It is considered very impolite for the younger generation not to write a thank-you note after receiving a gift from their elders.
Second, the differences of cultural values between Chinese and American gift-giving customs
1. Cultural origin
Chinese civilization has been passed down for more than 5,000 years, and Confucianism has a great influence on China people. Under the influence of traditional ideas, people in China admire "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faithfulness" in etiquette style. Because China is a "state of etiquette", it can be seen that people in China show the content and way of giving gifts incisively and vividly [2]. People in China pay more attention to face. Simple and cheap gifts will make them find it hard to get. They pay more attention to the actual value of gifts. Too simple or cheap gifts will make the giver feel that he has lost face and failed to give the other person enough face, thus failing to achieve the purpose of enhancing feelings and even offending others. After accepting the gift, the recipient will refuse it first, and even if he accepts it, he will not open it immediately. American culture originated from European culture. American native culture does not exaggerate "benevolence" and "courtesy". Americans are independent and outgoing. In American culture, expensive gifts are not respected. It is generally believed that gifts are only symbols, and too expensive will bring trouble. They will pay more attention to individuals themselves and advocate freedom and equality in interpersonal communication. Giving a gift to a person expresses his love and affirmation, and does not think that the price of the gift will directly affect the faces of both parties.
2. Religious belief
Buddhism is the mainstream religion of China residents, followed by Taoism. The main reason why China people like Buddhism is that China residents like to pin their hopes on the Buddha and hope to get the protection and support of the gods. Influenced by traditional religion, China's gift-giving custom also shows personal inner expectation. For example, relatives and friends will send a pair of gold bracelets and silver necklaces. When a newborn is born, it is expected that the baby will be healthy, happy and live a long life, while the marriage custom of preferring sons to daughters implies the meaning of yes-men [3]. Most American residents believe in Christianity. Lei Yutian's book "God and Americans-Christianity and American Society" states that more than 88% of the more than 200 million residents in the United States are Christians, and 95% believe in God. This shows that Christianity has a great influence on American residents, and a strong religious atmosphere can be felt from all levels of American social life, and the custom of giving gifts is no exception. Christmas is the biggest and most important festival for Americans every year. In addition to not giving crosses, Americans are also influenced by religious beliefs, but gifts that are too expensive are not welcome in the United States. Because different colors have different meanings in Christianity, Americans will have different considerations when choosing the color of wrapping paper. Usually, they don't wrap gifts in red or black paper. Some figures are taboo in China, and so are Americans. They taboo the numbers 13, 5, 666, etc. because they are related to religion.
3. Values
Hofstede, a famous scholar, put forward that "values are the tendency to choose things you like and dislike". In hofstede's cultural dimension, China culture belongs to collectivism culture, while the west belongs to individualism culture. "Giving up one family for everyone" is a direct manifestation of China people's values, so China people have a strong sense of collective, and choose to give expensive gifts, mainly in the hope of establishing and maintaining good collective relations through gifts. Contrary to the values of China residents, Americans advocate individualism and generally believe that personal interests are above everything else. Americans do not pay attention to the value and grade of gifts, but pay more attention to the gift-giving behavior itself and the meaning of gifts. A homemade greeting card, a bunch of flowers, a CD and a small national flag are all gifts that Americans often use. It is also under the influence of individualism that Americans give gifts not to seek help, but to return sincere greetings and blessings. It is very rare for subordinates to give gifts to their superiors in the United States, but it has become a normal situation in China, which is also the main difference between Chinese and American residents' values.
In short, gift-giving custom is the main way of normal interest exchange between countries. We can also learn about the differences in values of residents in different countries from different gift-giving customs. By analyzing the contents, purposes and ways of gifts given by China and the United States, it is concluded that there are great differences in cultural origins, religious beliefs and values between Chinese and American residents. With the deepening of international exchanges and cooperation, the exchanges between China and the United States will be more frequent. It is very important to know the cultural differences in different countries, so it is very important to know the gift-giving customs in different countries.