Gifts and good manners. How we give and how we receive gifts

At first glance, giving and receiving a gift seems extremely simple. And in a way, it is. However, there are some rules we must consider if we want to be considered educated and well-mannered people.
"A gift must be thought out, bought, wrapped, presented. It must be beautiful, useful, and bring real pleasure to the one who receives it."


The price of a gift should almost always remain a mystery, so the tag will be removed from any item we present as a gift.
Regarding the ritual of receiving and giving, it shows that when we give a gift, we should only insist a little to determine whether the one who received the gift is satisfied or likes it.
On the other hand, the gift recipient will open it before the guest and not spoil his joy by protesting that it was too expensive or that he shouldn't have made the effort. "He will thank you, be happy, and even return with pleasant comments several times in the same evening," says Aurelia Marinescu.

Even if we do not like our gift, it is wise to hide our displeasure. We cannot refuse the gift because it would mean offending the one who offered it. "Returning gifts given to you is not allowed except in some special cases. When someone slanders or insults you, you can silently return the gifts they gave you, but it is not mandatory."

Do you give away books? Please do not write anything on them. Good manners state that the giver will not sign the book given as a gift, and no other things can be written on it. "Dedications and autographs can only be given by the authors," emphasizes Aurelia Marinescu, who specifies that if you still want to write something about the person to whom you are going to present the book, you can use a card or an elegant piece of paper where you can write a few good thoughts.

Also, when choosing to give a book, it is essential to make sure that the respective volume is worth reading. "We will not give anyone books that we have not read, or at least have been assured by a competent person, that they are worth reading."
How to deal with flowers - Aurelia Marinescu's book on good manners explains that a flower should accompany every gift. "Even packages become more beautiful if we decorate them with a Christmas tree," she points out. However, not all flowers are suitable as gifts; we should avoid being too big or pretentious (calla lilies, gladioli, water lilies) because they may not please the hosts.