The word pear (梨 Li) sound like leaving in Chinese, which has the same meaning as separation. Giving pears mean you could be separated in future.

Cut flowers are generally present during funerals, so do not give them during the Lunar New Year! This is especially so for yellow Chrysanthemums and any white flowers, which represent death.

Sharp things like knives and scissors symbolise the breaking of a relationship. Giving other sharp objects will cause the receiver to feel threatened too.

If the family you are visiting have kids, don’t be tempted to bring the dolls. Some people believe that these dolls attract evil spirits and disturb the family harmony.

The older generation believes that giving shoes is akin sending the receiver away. This is because shoe (鞋 xie) in chinese sounds similar to the word evil.

For many Asians, candles are mostly used during prayers’ time. Thus, giving candles as a gift is seen as inauspicious.

Giving a friend a clock as a present should be avoided because it sounds like Song Zhong in Chinese, which means funeral ritual or being present at the bedside when a person is about to pass away.

Since wind chimes attracts the sound of wind, it is believed that they could attract unfavourable Yin energy (from chilly wind) into the house.

If you give someone wallet as a gift, it is likely that you bring bad luck to your wealth fortune and will face financial difficulties like being unable to recover your debts.

There as a Chinese saying that goes Gao Zhen Wu You, which roughly translates as “worry-free when your pillows are high up”. Giving pillows symbolise getting less of a life without worries, i.e. bringing trouble into your life.

Black and white objects have a strong association to funerals in Asia so items in these colours should be avoided at all costs. Try buying things that in red instead, which has a positive and festive meaning during CNY.

People generally give handkerchiefs at the end of a funeral, and are a symbol of saying goodbye forever. Giving someone this item could be a sign that you want to sever ties with them.

If you’re thinking of gifting a pretty umbrella to a close friend then think again. This is because the Chinese word for umbrella (伞 sǎn) sounds like the word for breaking up (散 sàn).

Mirrors are a no-no because not only do they break easily (bringing bad luck to the receiver), they are also believed to attract ghosts to the house.

The Chinese word for the number four sounds like the word for death (死 sǐ). So anything to do with this numeral should be avoided like the plague. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!