Gift-giving is a staple of Chinese culture. Nearly every festival celebration, important business meeting and family event involves some exchange of gifts. However, unlike in some Western countries, Chinese gifts should be opened in private, not in front of the gift-giver.

For example, I recently gave a Chinese friend of mine a painting, but she didn't open it until after she got home. Bryan found this hard to understand, because he is used to people opening up gifts in front of him, so he can see their expression and tell if they like the gift right away. "It's funny," he said, "that you have to wait for them to text message you to tell you that they like your gift, rather than have them open it right away and tell you personally."

From the Chinese perspective, however, people should avoid seeming too eager to receive gifts, and this is why they should refrain from opening gifts in front of others. If someone too eager to get gifts, they are perceived as greedy, whereas someone who modestly puts the unopened gift aside for later is deemed more cultured.

(selected from 101 Stories for Foreigners to Understand Chinese People by Yi S. Ellis and Bryan D. Ellis, published by China ntercontinental Press in 2012)