When do you usually get a present? In America, we give and get presents on our birthdays and festive holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. However, it’s a little bit different in Korea. Koreans give and receive gifts from each other much more often!
Gift-giving is an important part of Korean culture. When you move into a new neighborhood, it is customary (traditional) to greet your neighbors and give them tteok (sweetened rice cakes) as a welcoming gesture.
Gifts are also given when you start a new job and meet all your co-workers. At the schools where I teach, I prepared gifts to give to the principals, vice-principals, my co-teachers and the other teachers I work with. The teachers in return give other gifts, and even the students give gifts to the teachers as well. Gifts do not have to be fancy or expensive. What matters more is the thought behind someone giving the gift to you. Some typical gifts include snacks such as candies, individually wrapped desserts such as cakes and even fruit! Since Korea has many mountains, it is hard to grow a lot of fruit, and so the fruit they have is more high-quality and more expensive, too.
