Presents in Russia and America

Presents in Russia are generally a thing intended to be shrouded in
mystery and surprise. In America, it is not uncommon to simply request what you
want from family or friends and to receive it without ceremony. This is
unthinkable in our tradition. It is a vital element of the present that it is
picked out by the person giving it, that it is sincere and comes from the
heart. It is also important to be surprised; advance knowledge of your present
defeats the entire purpose. Presents are generally things of quality but modest
in quantity; it would be considered extremely poor form to have a "wish
list" or a "Christmas list" or something so pretentious.
Likewise, giving money would be regarded as very blunt, offensive and
unrefined. Simply giving someone the means to buy themselves a present is
contrary to the entire purpose.

This is not to say that the giver of the present should ignore the
apparent wishes of the receiver and get him something totally random. On the
contrary, the point is to get someone you love what they want. If you are a
parent, perhaps you overheard your son or daughter talking once about something
they wish they had. You should keep this in mind for a present. The point is
for this to happen by implied understanding, and not by explicit request. It
should be a surprise, and should be given based on an earnest desire to please.

It is also a matter of principle that presents retain a fog of
mystery. That is to say, it is inappropriate to inquire as to when, where and
how your present was obtained, before or after receiving it. It is also
forbidden to ask about the price; if by chance there is a price sticker that
the giver neglected to remove, you should throw it away promptly and act as
though you never saw it. These things simply don't matter. In fact, not only is
it a matter of ethics, but seeking information about presents is regarded by
many superstitious people as inviting bad luck. The less you know, the better
and the more magical it is.

Список литературы

Для
подготовки данной работы были использованы материалы с сайта http://www.multikulti.ru/