Don’t Give Gifts Without Checking The Rules
Giving gifts in Singapore can be so precise it’s almost down to an art form. There are quite a number of rules to follow due to the diversity of the people who live there. While anything wrapped in white is considered taboo since white is associated with mourning, alcohol, hankies, flowers and clocks are also no-no’s since these items are identified with Chinese funerals. While you should offer your gift only using your right hand, you also shouldn’t open up something you received in front of the person who gave it to you. And if the person you are giving a gift to refuses to take it, keep insisting until they actually get it as it is customary for them to refuse it up to three times. All these rules almost makes you wish you didn’t give anything in the first place, but then, where’s the respect in that?
