The Gifting Culture in Taiwan
The manners custom of giving gifts is common in Taiwan. People often receive gifts for in many situations occasions such as weddings, housewarmings, at the birth of a chile childbearing, opening ceremonies, etc. For example, children and seniors receive cash as a gift in for Chinese New Year. The Newlyweds receive cash on their wedding day. Even on at the funeral, people should give money in sympathy to the grieving to the member of the dead’s family as a sympathy.
However, there are some important things that you have to keep in your mind. To begin with, the cash that you give must be put into an red envelope except for a that you give on funeral. As in Taiwanese custom convention, red means luck while white relates to death. Secondly, the sum of money can’t include the number 4, because the number 4 is pronounced exactly the same with as death in Taiwanese. People avoid relating to number 4 in many circumstances over many things. For example, there is no forth floor for most of the hospitals in Taiwan.
It’s important to bring a gift with you when you visit someone for the first time. Fruit, chocolate, cake, alcohol or that sort of thing would be fine. Don’t be surprised if they don’t open the package of the gift immediately. For it’s impolite to open it in front of the giver before you in the Taiwanese culture.
The gifting culture in Taiwan [1]
The manners of giving gift is common in Taiwan [2]. People often receive gifts in many situations such as a wedding, a house warming, childbearing the birth of a child, an opening ceremony, etc. [3] For example, children and seniors receive cash as a gift in on Chinese New Year. The newlyweds receive cash on the wedding day. Even on the at a funeral, people should give money to the members of the dead’s deceased's family [4] as a gesture of sympathy.
However, there are some important things that you have to keep in your mind [5]. To begin with, the cash that you give must be put into an a red envelope except the one that you give on at a funeral. As in is Taiwanese convention, red means luck while white relates to death. Secondly, the sum of money can’t include the number 4 four [6], because the number 4 four is pronounced exactly same with as the word for death in Taiwanese. People avoid relating to number 4 four over many things. For example, there is no forth fourth [7] floor for in most of the hospitals in Taiwan. [8]
It’s important to bring a gift with you when you visit someone for the first time. Fruit, chocolate, cake, alcohol or that sort of thing would be fine. Don’t be surprised if they don’t open the package of the gift immediately, for it’s impolite to open it before you in Taiwanese culture.
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[1] While 'gifting' is a word, it is rarely used by native English speakers. As an adjective, we are more likely to say, "gift-giving":
"The gift-giving culture in Taiwan"
However, that is still a little awkward. A native English speaker would probably use a simpler title:
"Giving Gifts in Taiwan"
[2] Unfortunately, I don't know what you mean here.
[3] It's best to not finish with "etc." You have already introduced the list with "such as", which means it is an incomplete list—there is no need for "etc." Note that if you remove the "etc.", you must add 'and' or 'or' before the last item in the list.
"... such as a wedding, a house warming, the birth of a child, or an opening ceremony."
[4] Rather than say "... give money to the members of the deceased's family," you can say, "give money to the deceased's family."
[5] A common expression is, "... that you have to keep in mind." That is, the word 'your' is omitted.
[6] Spell any number up to ten.
[7] 'Forth' is a word, but it has another meaning.
[8] If you're practicing for an English-proficiency examination, be careful to stay on topic. The two sentences on the general aversion to the number four are off-topic. (It's very interesting, and is fine in a general notebook entry, but you may be penalized in an English examination.)
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Your writing is very good, and the topic was very interesting.
