Gift Giving in Asian Cultures

If one or both of your parents have Asian heritage, then as a child, you were probably drilled on the importance of gift giving in Asian culture. It is an important part of social etiquette, and an important way to show love and appreciation. I grew up with Chinese culture, but I have observed this to be true for many Asian cultures - Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian…

If you didn’t grow up with Asian culture, but you have Asian in-laws, or you are meeting your significant other’s Asian parents for the first time, then it might be a new concept. Basically, appropriate gift giving is a sign of politeness, respect and care in Asian societies, and it is a practice entrenched in tradition.

Purchasing a gift for Asian parents, especially Asian dads, can be a challenge. We know, we go through this multiple times a year - Father's Day, Mother's Day, Birthdays, Christmas... So we’ve put together this list of great gifts for Asian dads, Asian moms and generally Asian parents - gifts with thought that will hopefully impress and bring a smile to their face no matter what the occasion!

Fruit

Fruit holds a special place in many Asian cultures. It is a special food, and is seen as a symbol of health, prosperity, and abundance. In China, high quality fruit can be a bit of a luxury item and a box of ripe, in-season, delicious fruit is a prized gift!

Fruit is a suitably small gift when meeting Asian parents for the first time. It’s a gesture that demonstrates thoughtfulness, respect, and cultural awareness. You can think of it as bringing a good bottle of wine to a family that enjoys wine.

What type of fruit should you pick? There are no hard and fast rules, but do go to a good quality market and find something in season, or err on the side of a mixed basket. It helps if the fruit is on the slightly exotic side, some that I’ve often seen are:

• Japanese grapes

• Yellow kiwifruit

• Berries

• Lychees

• Cherries

If you are meeting the parents at their house, typically the fruit is washed and served for everyone to eat after the meal, so purchase something ripe and ready-to-eat.

Tea and Tea Set

Tea is a staple in many Asian households, and a choice you can’t go wrong with. There are many varieties of Asian teas, and many blends are named “tea” but are in fact mixes of herbs, roots, berries and flowers, each with their own health benefits. A traditional Asian tea set, made of ceramic or cast iron, can enhance the tea-drinking experience and also makes an good present.

If your parents or in-laws like to stick with one type of tea, then go deep on the research on that particular type, and surprise them with something they may not buy themselves - tea of a special age, a special location, of a particular harvest (tea knowledge compared to wine), or a special tea set.

If they are open to different varieties, then give them something they haven’t tried before. Herbal blends are often popular with Asian moms, and many traditional ingredients contain antioxidants that help with aging. Some common ingredients you might look out for are:

• Goji: good for eyes, skin and support the immune system

• Jujube: helps with sleep, boosts immunity and improves digestion

• Tangerine peel: lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, aids digestion

• Ginseng: helps brain function, improves energy level and reduces inflammation

Incense

We are a little biased, but we think incense makes a really thoughtful gift for Asian dads and moms. Incense have various mental and physical health benefits, such as relieving anxiety, promoting focus, boosting immunity, and purifying the air. The pleasant scent of incense can also help to create a comfortable and welcoming home. By gifting incense, you're not only offering a practical item, but also showing that you care about you parents' or parents-in-laws' physical and mental wellbeing.

When selecting incense, look out for:

• All natural ingredients

• A pleasant scent (some all natural incense can have a pretty pungent smell)

• Whether your parents or in-laws might have a holder already for the type of incense you select (eg, incense stick holder vs incense powder burner)

We have a selection of popular all natural incense that you can explore in different formats, including incense sticks of different lengths, backflow incense cones, incense powder and ready-made-incense seals. We pride ourselves on offering some of the best quality incense sticks on the market, so please take 5 minutes to check them out!

Incense Holder

 

Beautiful for the home, beautiful for the mind - this is our motto for our incense holders, and we think they make a practical and aesthetic gift for Asian parents.

Incense burners are essential for using incense, and well designed pieces also add a touch of sophistication to any home. They contribute to a sense of wellbeing, as burning incense creates a peaceful and fragrant atmosphere (see more details on the benefits of incense in the listing above). By gifting an incense holder, you're not only providing a functional item but also showing your appreciation for their home.

Books

You can really cater to Asian dads and moms' individuality with the gift of books. If your parent/s is/are Asian-American (or grew up somewhere that speaks English, or just enjoys reading in English), here are a few categories of Asia-related books we like to gift (these are not affiliate links, just ideas of books we like):

• History of their heritage country - often English books will tell the history of Asian countries from a different perspective than in the native language, it is often very interesting to compare the two. I often find really cool insights, a few examples: The Shortest History of China, The Golden Peaches of Samarkand

• Architecture and design books of their heritage country - often great coffee table books and doubles as a decor item, an example: Chinese Architecture

• Fun historical books of different topics like food, an example: Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food

• Books about modern companies from their heritage country, an example: The Xiaomi Way

Framed Family Portrait or A Photo Album

I think we'd all agree that framed family portraits and photo albums really bring feelings of nostalgia and warmth to a home - they remind us of our shared experiences as a family, the quality time we've spent together, and the strength of our familial ties. This is particularly important for Asian cultures who highly value family. But they are also things that we never seem to get around to doing ourselves. Plus, mom and dad don't always know the best and easiest ways to get photos printed these days, with all the migration to online services.

Printing out a few family photos, either on canvas or in a frame, then helping your parents or in-laws hang them up around the house, is a present they will surely appreciate. Alternatively, we also print out yearly albums of our kids for our own parents, and that always brings a smile to their faces.

Acupuncture Mat and Massage Tools 

Acupuncture and massage is a staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and acupuncture mats and massage tools make thoughtful gifts. They allow parents to achieve the benefits of these practices within the convenience of their own home. These items can provide much-needed relief from aches and pains associated with aging. Acupuncture mats, with their tiny needles, stimulate blood flow and reduce muscle tension. Massage tools, such as handheld rollers or scrapers, offer targeted relief for specific areas.

By promoting relaxation and pain management, these gifts can enhance parents' overall well-being and quality of life.

Asian spirits

This might be more for the Asian dads, but some Asian moms will also no doubt appreciate this. Spirits and liquor popular in Asia are available in the US and other countries, but they may be in smaller places your parents don't know about. I know my father-in-law wanted a specific bottle of Maotai baijiu a couple of years ago, and just didn't know where to find it at a reasonable price.

Do your research and surprise him (or her) with a great bottle of liquor from his (or her) heritage of country, it'll be nostalgic and might just make all his (or her) friends jealous! My father-in-law had friends who offered to buy his baijiu shortly after we gifted him a bottle!

Father's Day, Mother's Day, Lunar New Year, Christmas... Finding the Perfect Gift for All Occasions

We hope we've given you some good starting categories for finding the perfect gift for your Asian dad, Asian mom or Asian parents-in-law.

Sometimes it does take a bit of time to find the perfect gift. You can ask for recommendations from dad and mom's friends - and it always helps when you're a bit more specific with the ask. For example, "what sort of liquor do you think he'd like?" is probably a much easier question to answer than "what sort of present do you think he'd like?"

And as with all gifts, a thoughtful and personalized gift is always appreciated, no matter the price. Happy gift giving!

What to bring for Asian parents/ Asian in-laws?

If you're meeting them for the first time, fruit! For some ideas of what to select, see our first section in the article above.

What do you get an Asian dad for Father's Day?

Our favorites for an Asian dad: a cool incense holder, an interesting book, a special bottle of Asian liquor that might not be so easy to find outside of Asia. See our article above for more pointers for each of these ideas.

What gift to get your Asian mom?

Our favorites for an Asian mom: handmade incense, a family photo album, an acupuncture mat. See our article above for more pointers for each of these ideas.