Why are gift-giving customs so different across cultures?

The answer

Gift-giving follows complex cultural rules that can easily be violated by outsiders. In Japan, presentation matters as much as the gift itself, and gifts are typically not opened in the giver's presence. In China, clocks are avoided (giving a clock sounds like 'attending a funeral'), as are sharp objects (implying severing the relationship) and gifts in sets of four (the number of death). In many Middle Eastern cultures, admiring someone's possession may obligate them to give it to you. In India, gifts are typically given with the right hand. Scandinavian cultures prefer modest, practical gifts, reflecting egalitarian values. The Kwakwaka'wakw people of the Pacific Northwest hold potlatch ceremonies where hosts gain status by giving away vast quantities of goods, inverting Western gift economics.