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Posted on June 04th, 2003 06:55 PM by admin
Written by Alla Trubetskaya Stanton, provided by International Friends and Associates
Gift-Giving Advice
Don't Give These Gifts to Russians:
- Intimate presents (underwear, pantyhose, etc.)
- Never offer used clothing - never!
- Feminine hygiene products, including shampoos and soaps
- Yellow or black flowers
- Even numbers of flowers
- Mirrors
- Candles
- Handkerchief
- Money
- Gag items or humorous greeting cards
- "Practical" items like kitchen equipment/culinary tools, pliers set, etc.
- No junky handcrafts (you know, the cheapie you think will look expensive to them - It won't). Russians have a rich history in handcrafting.
Flowers. Flowers, although not original, belong in a special category. It is a significant cultural courtesy to bring flowers to your first meeting with a woman or visit with a family. If visiting with a family, an additional box of chocolates and a bottle of fine wine or Cognac make extremely nice accompaniments, especially if you are involved in a serious courtship.
NOTE: The first three items on this list are very popular and some decent quality can be purchased economically. Navajo jewelry w/turquoise is a consistent winner. You can easily locate online dealers in the Southwest with catalogs.
- Inexpensive, original Navajo (or other) jewelry
- Native American souvenirs
- Cowboy souvenirs
- Gourmet tea
- Organizer/planner
- Nice pen
- Calendar
- Quality perfume
- Local (your home) souvenirs
- Illustrated books/booklets, postcards about your state, city
- Fine wine or cognac
- Gourmet chocolate
- Fancy cake
Never buy a present made in Indonesia, Brazil, etc. (unless you are from there). It is very important to buy something that was made in the USA.
If your relationship with a Russian woman is serious and you are about to marry her, the most practical present will be a fax machine or computer. It will allow you to communicate with her easily, and then her with her family after she has immigrated. Making her feel like you want her to stay closely connected to her family will draw her closer to you. This will also save a small fortune in telephone calls over the long haul.
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