Things to Put into Consideration About the Concept of Giving in the Arab World
By: Antonia Wagura / Arab America Contributing Writer
The concept of gift-giving is essential in the professional and personal life of human beings. Choosing gifts can be stressful, and it can cause a lot of anxiety. The wrong gift can cause more harm than good.
Gift-giving is no different in the Arab community. There are two goals to consider when giving someone a gift. Firstly, it is to make someone happy, of course, that depends on whether the gift is something wanted or needed by the recipient. Secondly, is to strengthen the relationship between the giver and recipient. That can be achieved by giving a thoughtful and memorable gift, one that shows that the giver understands the recipient.
Things you need to know when gifting an Arab!
What to Gift?
The “what” depends on the person, it has nothing to do with whether that person is Arab or not. The most popular gifts are edibles such as pastries, chocolates, sweets, and cookies. In addition, dates could be great too. People appreciate food items, crafts, business cards, and arts from different cultures.
You should avoid giving food products that contain pork or pork by-products such as gelatin. Any meat and meat ingredients need to be halal.
What is Haram?
Alcohol is a no in many Arab regions: it is illegal or controlled. Thus, alcohol should not be part of the gifts offered not unless it is a requirement.
Even though not all Arabs are Muslims, it is something noteworthy. According to Sharia law, Muslim men cannot wear silk or gold. However, it does not apply to women. So, that is also an option when giving gift.
Reciprocation of Gift-Giving
It is important to note that reciprocation is part of gift-giving -it is the norm to also give a gift in return for an equal value of symbolism. Therefore, if you receive a present, make sure you return the gift while there, on your return home, or on your next visit.
Can one gift people of the opposite sex?
Buying gifts for the opposite sex; outside the family is considered too intimate, and therefore it’s rarely done. To bypass any awkwardness: it is best to say the gift is from a wife, girlfriend, or mother if the recipient is female. If the recipient is male, it is best to suggest the gift is from their husband, brother, or father.
Should children be gifted?
One of the most frequently asked questions is if the sender can buy things for the kids? Yes and No. It depends on the relationship status of the recipient and sender.
If the relationship has developed, it is a nice touch to buy small gifts for people’s kids as it helps ingratiate yourself with the family by showing affection and consideration for their children.
Gift-giving and corporate policy
Nevertheless, gift-giving could be affected by corporate policy. It is essential to replace physical gifts with other gestures of giving. The most well-received and common is to take people out to eat. You could invite them for coffee, lunch, or dinner.
Try and work within the limits of corporate policy but engage in the process of giving.
How to receive and give gifts
The act of handing over the gift is as important as buying. In the Arab world, handing out gifts with the left hand is like tossing an unwrapped gift at someone’s toes.
The left hand is considered unclean, and it is associated with bathing. One should use both hands or your right hand to give and receive presents.
What to note
You never want to put the recipient in a weird and offending situation. Therefore, researching before gifting someone would go a long way.
If the recipient does not open the gift straight away, they may be shy to do so; encourage them to open it and assure them the present is a modest gesture.
To sum it up!
Gifting in the Arab culture is an essential issue. In the Arabic culture, there are two words for a gift.
هدية(Hadieh) is a gift given during birthdays or Eid al-Fitr. It is a gift that marks special occasions.
هبة (Hiba) is a gift from the heart, such as sponsorship or a donation.
Gift-giving is essential in the Arab world because hospitality is an important aspect of the culture.
Once you receive a gift, the first thing is to say thank you for the present. You could use على الهدية شكرا لك. (Shukran lak 3alaa al-hadiyya) which could go a long way.
It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving that matters.
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