In Japan people do not generally give presents. Instead they give money. So, if you get married, you will receive money. Small children do not get huge gifts from relatives at Christmas time, instead they pick up wads of cash at New Year.
If someone dies, you also receive money, to help you with the various funeral costs. The custom is then to give back 50% of the value of the money you received in the form of a gift. There are companies which provide catalogs of such gifts, which generally consist of towels, sets of dishes, and boxes of biscuits (cookies) and other snacks.
Megumi and I have been thinking long and hard about how to say thanks to the people who gave us money. Well, we have decided that we are not going to send you boxes of cookies or sets of plates. We are going to give the money to people who really need it, and donate the money to UNICEF. You will all receive a card from UNICEF thanking you for your help in assisting sick and underpriveleged children. We hope that no-one reading was really setting their hearts on getting a new set of kitchen towels!
UNICEF webpage (LINK)
Posted by Gary at October 8, 2004 11:00 AMWhat a wonderful idea!
Posted by: MJ at October 12, 2004 11:16 PM