Wtf is Weihnachten - Part 3
Let me tell you something about the mutual giving of presents in Germany. Presents are given on various occasions, most common are birthday and Christmas. And this is what I want to talk about. You can distinguish between different levels of gifting: Birthday among family Presents of parents for their children are usually more expensive than what they get back. During childhood I was often asked to create a gift in a do-it-yourself fashion, like a drawing or photo collage, baking something or I don’t know, I wasn’t good at. Parents are most pleased (or pretend to be so) about self made stuff. The older the children get, the more expensive presents they can afford, so at some point there can be equality. Birthday among friends Now here is a rule. The value of your gift for a friend should roughly be the value of your friend’s gift for you. This is not always easy to achieve and it’s not like you’re supposed to compare price tags, but your friend can feel slightly uncomfort...