Thought I’d post a quick picture of the gift our relocation company sent us in honor of the Chuseok holiday.
There was a time when I wouldn’t have been particularly flattered by a gift of shampoo, toothpaste and shower gel. I might have wondered if someone was trying to tell me something. Now, I know better.
It’s probably a measure of how assimilated I’ve become that I was actually really happy to get this, as we were just running a bit low on shampoo.
When it comes to Korean holiday gift-giving, it’s all about practicality. You’ll see the stores full of similar gift sets for the Lunar New Year and at Christmas, etc. At housewarmings, guests bring gifts of laundry detergent and toilet paper. It struck me funny, too, at first. Then I really had to admit that, unlike more traditional Western gifts (coffee mugs, decorative picture frames, ornate scented candles, etc.) you can be sure that washing powder and toilet paper will definitely be put to good use.
Being ornery foreigners, we gave boxed chocolates or other food gifts to friends and coworkers. We can’t yet quite bring ourselves to go for the ubiquitous gift sets of Spam, though they are obviously very popular. And it still strikes me as a bit dangerous, etiquette-wise, to give someone (particularly a coworker) personal hygiene products. But, this squeamishness may not last until the next holiday.
I don’t think we’ve had to buy toothpaste, laundry detergent or shower gel since we moved here a year ago. I think that’s pretty cool.
{ 3 comments }
Aunt Anne Arky 09.29.07 at 4:04 am
I’ll bet you could always give some Bath & Bodyworks type stuff. Useful but still special. I sound like a salesperson. Sorry. Seriously, there is a dormant Americal tradition for people who have just moved into a community called a “Pounding” in which guests bring a pound of flour, or sugar, or butter, or some other perishable that the just-moved-in would not have been able to pack. It’s pretty nice.
joanna 09.30.07 at 4:24 pm
if a bottle of perfume and cologne is not a good idea then spam and toilet paper shall be gifts this year for my family in Korea.
Cat 09.30.07 at 4:35 pm
You know your family best, of course. I’d still go for the perfume over the Spam, definitely.
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