PETALING JAYA: As Malaysians rush to buy Christmas presents for family and friends, many remain mindful of local cultural taboos over gift-giving during the festive season.
Given Malaysia’s diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, certain customs have crept into the practice of Christmas gift exchanges, with some items regarded as inappropriate.
A media practitioner who only wanted to be known as James, 36, recounted a story of his aunt, who landed herself in hot water when she gifted her mother-in-law a clock for Christmas.
“Upon finding out the present was a clock, she began arguing with her daughter-in-law. She assumed her gift had other connotations,” he said.
The taboo appears to originate from how the phrase “to give a clock” sounds like “attending a funeral” in Cantonese and Mandarin.
A self-employed woman who wished to be known only as Sandy, 48, said her family does not follow these superstitions.
“We know that many people believe that certain gifts have negative connotations, such as clocks or shoes, unless someone specifically asks for it,” she said.
However, Sandy is unsure why the two gifts are a no-go.
The tradition of not giving shoes likely stems from the belief that one is “walking away from their life”.
Ramesh Ramasamy, 21, said that although his family does not celebrate Christmas traditionally, he does not hold such superstitions when exchanging gifts.
“We don’t really mind what gifts we exchange with each other.”
