What to give to a German? What to bring to a German from Russia: unusual souvenirs for Germans What to give to Russian Germans living abroad

14.05.2024

Alexander Alexandrovich Novik

Gifts for colleagues, close relatives, teachers, loved ones raise a lot of questions in us, but we somehow know how to deal with them. But what to do if you need to give a gift to a foreigner, say a German, with whom we have a long-term and profitable cooperation planned in the future. Here we think and sometimes for a long time we cannot come up with anything. After all, Germany is known for its commitment to traditions and a long-established scale of spiritual and material values.

What gift will bring pleasure and joy? Will we inadvertently offend you with our gift? What should we do to make our gift look appropriate and impressive, and for us to act as a gallant and smart donor?

Let's talk about this not at all simple topic.

What to take with you when visiting? What about flowers?

This problem faces everyone who goes on a visit to a private home. It's not nice to go empty-handed. It’s not always clear what to take with you. This problem becomes even worse abroad. It is not customary in Germany to visit without a gift. Great idea - flowers. Germans love flowers. They love them in any form: freshly cut, dried, in pots and tubs. They love artificial flowers and those painted on paper, bought in a store and picked in their own garden.

When choosing a bouquet for the hostess of the house, try to use all your imagination and taste. Believe me, they will appreciate both a very modest bouquet of wild flowers and a luxurious basket of roses from an expensive store. Flowers in Germany are expensive. The hostess will be very pleased to receive an expensive bouquet as a gift, which will last in a vase for only a few days, but on which enough money has been spent. Rational and prudent Germans love it when money is spent on them irrationally and unprudently. But the cost of the bouquet is not the main criterion. The main thing is attention and gallantry.

Often Germans give flowers from their own garden. This is a very sweet and good custom. The most beautiful and fragrant flowers are cut straight from the flowerbed for you. And because they were freshly cut, they will last a very long time, reminding you of a good time.

Sometimes they give flowers in a pot. This is a good gift for a bachelor or office colleagues, but such a pot may not suit the decor of a private home, its design, or color scheme. I would recommend refraining from giving such a gift to people you don’t know well or to those whom you have never visited before.

When choosing a bouquet, you need to remember the following. Traditionally, white flowers are perceived in Germany as mourning flowers. The same attitude applies to yellow flowers. Of course, many have already forgotten about the previous symbolism of color. Some Germans will even assure you that there is nothing reprehensible in giving your beloved girlfriend or elderly lady a white bouquet. However, who can exclude the possibility that you will present such a bouquet to a person for whom traditions still matter? Therefore, when composing a bouquet, remember that if it contains white and yellow flowers, they should be combined with flowers of other shades. In general, combined bouquets are extremely popular among Germans. A huge selection of flowers in stores and flower shops will give you the opportunity to show your imagination when composing a bouquet. If you are not confident in your own abilities, ask the seller for help. Knowing the reason for which you are invited to visit, the age of the hostess and her occupation, an experienced specialist will always help you in choosing a bouquet.

Bouquets made of wildflowers, as well as with the use of cereals - ears of wheat, rye, oats, are very popular now in Germany. Decorative sunflowers framed with various branches and stems, tied with a rope of straw, are also a great gift for a visit. If you live in the province or, even better, in the village, you can compose it yourself (but of course, not from plants from someone else’s peasant field!). Such a bouquet will not be perceived as an amateur attempt: it will certainly be received with gratitude.

A bouquet of flowers is a great gift from another point of view. If for some reason you come to visit without a gift, you can send flowers to the hostess the next day. This can be done through a messenger or by bringing flowers to the hostess yourself. In this case, your visit will leave the most pleasant memories. Everything else will be inappropriate: you must admit that a bottle of wine sent the next day will look somehow strange. But a bouquet of flowers is always appropriate.

Badges and other souvenirs

When going on a visit to a German home, take with you some souvenir brought from your homeland. We are foreigners in Germany, and Russia, despite frequent contacts recently, is still exotic for most Germans. A souvenir brought from such a distant and “snowy” country is a joke, a curiosity! Attention to it will be greater than, say, to a souvenir from Paris or Venice.

Therefore, if you are traveling to Germany, be sure to take souvenirs with you. These could be handicrafts (Russia is so rich in them!), alcoholic beverages, porcelain, or simply badges. If you are going to meet with business partners, take with you products with your company logo or branded souvenirs. All this will definitely come in handy. A whole heap of souvenirs that you prepare before your trip may seem excessive only at first glance. During meetings with colleagues and friends, all this will melt away very quickly. Don't skimp on the little things!

The Germans love gifts very much. They know how to be grateful for the most insignificant gifts. Sometimes the childish admiration of a respectable German colleague for a simple badge presented to him seems strange. The Germans are brought up this way: any kindness should be repaid with gratitude. Even if you give a perfect trifle, a German friend or colleague will express genuine joy. The gift will be placed in a prominent place, and you will be assured that without it the life of the owners would have been incomplete and joyless. Right at the moment of donation, they can pin the badge on the lapel of the jacket and say that they will always wear it. All this, of course, does not mean that your souvenir will stand in the most prominent place in the living room, and your colleague’s teenage son will not part with your badge until he reaches adulthood, but... In general, do not forget about gifts.

Matryoshka - kitsch or a good old tradition?

The Russian nesting doll, for example, makes an excellent souvenir. Of course, if you are the guest of a Russian specialist, he will be very surprised by such a gift. A connoisseur of Russian life understands perfectly well that a nesting doll is a souvenir for foreigners; it was created as a Russian curiosity for a foreign guest. Are there many families in Russia who have a nesting doll?

But in the minds of most Europeans, the nesting doll is an indispensable attribute of Russian life. Moreover, it is a very colorful and iconic souvenir. So let's not break stereotypes!

However, it would be very prudent if you do not give a nesting doll to a family with very young children. A bright painted nesting doll will delight any child. Our craftsmen manage to put up to ten or more “daughters” into one nesting doll. But such small nesting dolls, coated with varnish and therefore very slippery, are dangerous for small children who strive to taste everything. Therefore, you should think about ensuring that your gift does not cause trouble. If the children of your friends are already grown up and independent, your souvenir will cause everyone to rejoice.

Other souvenirs are also good: painted spoons and other products of Khokhloma masters, lacquer miniatures, items with enamel, Gzhel ceramics. All this characterizes the original folk art of Russia; the soul of the people is invested in it, and therefore such a gift will evoke special gratitude from your friends. Everything where manual labor is used is highly valued in Germany. But don't try to make very expensive gifts. On the one hand, you can put the receiving party in an awkward position. On the other hand, a very valuable souvenir, made by a renowned master in a single copy and costing a fortune, may well not be perceived as an exceptional masterpiece. Agree that even many of our compatriots do not always distinguish the exclusive work of Zhostovo craftsmen from the industrial production stampings that flood the souvenir market. And even if we are not always able to distinguish the wheat from the chaff, what can we say about people who are very little familiar with our artistic craft? And don’t try to surprise your friends with your breadth of scope and lordly generosity: this is not only unnecessary, but can even interfere with the establishment of strong contacts.

It's another matter if you know that your friend collects certain things. Then your gift can replenish his collection, and it will become the most desired and best.

For example, you know about your German friends’ weakness for porcelain. During their visit to Russia, they bought products from Gzhel masters. Any piece of porcelain, traditionally hand-painted and bearing the appropriate mark, will be a wonderful gift that your friends will be extremely happy about. In any case, tact and taste are required to ensure that the gift is given correctly. Think about it in advance.

Asia and Europe

What is the difference between gifts in Russia and gifts in Germany? Let's try to find the answer to this difficult, very philosophical question. It is not customary for Russians to give minor gifts on important occasions. Of course, there are situations when it is appropriate to give a trinket or some inexpensive gift. But if we go to friends for a birthday, a wedding, a company anniversary, etc., we simply cannot give something insignificant and inexpensive. That's how it is with us.

In Germany, giving expensive and valuable gifts is not customary. And this is surprising at first. The majority of Germans are wealthy people and can easily afford significant gifts. However, they don't do this. We are surprised that the not-so-poor Frau gives her close friend a tie bought for the occasion at a sale. And a successful businessman gives his wife a food processor for a significant date, of which she already has three, although more outdated models. The “gifted” are delighted, but we are perplexed.

What is the secret of such differences in the field of gifts? Maybe it's all about the traditions that influenced Russian and German cultures? Rus' has long had a strong eastern influence. And in the East, as is known, from time immemorial it was considered commendable and the only possible thing to show off with generosity, luxury, and breadth of nature.

Unlike the East, Europe remained tight-fisted and practical. Money here was earned with difficulty, and spent with difficulty. Saving money in each case was taught by the local European tradition from childhood. Since the Middle Ages, wasting money has been considered a sinful and ignoble thing. Russia, a great country between Asia and Europe, has inherited both traditions. However, in the field of gifts, we are still Asia. Even with modest incomes, we try to surprise our loved ones with our generous nature - to give a stunning gift, to invite us to a splurging treat.

In Europe, there is no need to undertake such “feats” in the name of fame and personal image. In Europe you need to be European. You can earn gratitude and appreciation through attention and a sensitive attitude, and not necessarily through large amounts of money and dizzying expenses. What is valuable in a gift is attention and tact, not the amount of euros invested.

Should I take the bottle or not?

If you are invited to visit, then often, along with the question of what to give, another question arises: should I take a bottle of alcohol? The question, it must be said, is very delicate.

Modern etiquette generally presupposes such a practice of invitation, when on a card announcing the upcoming visit and feast, the inviting party can say what she expects from the guest. Based on the abbreviation on the card, the invitee can immediately understand whether he should come to visit with alcohol, with snacks, or whether the hosts are expecting you without any gifts.

But another situation occurs more often: you were invited to visit verbally, and you do not quite understand whether there will be alcohol on the table or not. If you are invited to lunch or dinner and very transparently hinted that a hearty meal is expected, then, of course, this also means alcoholic drinks on the table. In this case, the bottle you brought will be very useful.

If you are invited for a cup of coffee, then the bottle will not be entirely appropriate. The owner may be confused by the fact that you apparently expected a meal with various drinks, but he just wanted to treat you to coffee. Such awkwardness is unnecessary for either the host or the guest, and is best avoided.

There are times when German hosts offer to drink a glass of wine or a glass of champagne on the occasion of a meeting, and after that coffee is offered. It is not necessary to bring alcohol to this reception. This shouldn't bother you. It is better to come to the house with flowers and be unexpectedly treated to some kind of drink than to come to the house with a bottle of wine when it was not expected.

If you do happen to be invited to a dinner where alcoholic beverages are expected, you might want to think about a bottle to take with you. A good gift would be a bottle of Russian vodka (of various brands), a bottle of domestic champagne, wine or cognac. These drinks are known to the German consumer (with the exception, however, of wine, which will be a curiosity). German friends tend to like the quality of our domestic spirits. Back in the days of the Soviet Union, Stolichnaya vodka and Soviet champagne, as well as other drinks, were sold on the shelves of German supermarkets. Their taste was liked by local connoisseurs, and their quality met international standards. Some Germans may even tell you “in secret” that they like Russian sparkling wines more than the famous French champagne. But don’t try to explain to everyone the merits of Russian drinks. Your attention will touch the German hosts even without this.

If you do not have a supply of domestic drinks that you brought with you, or you live in Germany for a long time, all you have to do is go to the store and choose some drink there. This is easier to do if you know your friends' tastes. If not, make the choice according to your own taste. A bottle of red or white dry wine will always be appropriate.

Another question is how the owner will receive the bottle you brought. According to the traditions accepted in our country (and not at all according to etiquette), the brought wine is immediately put on the table. If a guest brings something, it’s somehow inconvenient to remove it and not taste it collectively. In Germany everything is completely different. Rather, the owner will put your bottle in a prominent place, but will leave it capped. And they will treat you to completely different drinks. I sympathize if you forked out a lot of money buying a rare bottle and hoping to try this new drink at a party. These are local traditions, different from ours. And traditions must be respected!

Alexander Aleksandrovich Novik, Candidate of Historical Sciences, researcher at the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) RAS
Source:"Protocol and Etiquette"
Publication date: 09.02.2005

What to give to a German friend?

Let's talk about this not at all simple topic.

What to take with you when visiting? What about flowers?

When choosing a bouquet, you need to remember the following. Traditionally, white flowers are perceived in Germany as mourning flowers. The same attitude applies to yellow flowers. Of course, many have already forgotten about the previous symbolism of color. Some Germans will even assure you that there is nothing reprehensible in giving your beloved girlfriend or elderly lady a white bouquet. However, who can rule out the possibility that you will present such a bouquet to a person for whom traditions still matter? Therefore, when composing a bouquet, remember that if it contains white and yellow flowers, they should be combined with flowers of other shades. In general, combined bouquets are extremely popular among Germans. A huge selection of flowers in stores and flower shops will give you the opportunity to show your imagination when composing a bouquet. If you are not confident in your own abilities, ask the seller for help. Knowing the reason for which you are invited to visit, the age of the hostess and her occupation, an experienced specialist will always help you in choosing a bouquet.

Bouquets of wildflowers, as well as those using cereals - ears of wheat, rye, oats, are very popular now in Germany. Decorative sunflowers framed with various branches and stems, tied with a rope of straw, are also a great gift for a visit. If you live in the province or, even better, in the village, you can compose it yourself (but of course, not from plants from someone else’s peasant field!). Such a bouquet will not be perceived as an amateur attempt: it will certainly be received with gratitude.

Badges and other souvenirs
When going on a visit to a German home, take with you some souvenir brought from your homeland. We are foreigners in Germany, and Russia, despite frequent contacts recently, is still exotic for most Germans. A souvenir brought from such a distant and “snowy” country is a joke, a curiosity! Attention to it will be greater than, say, to a souvenir from Paris or Venice.

The Germans love gifts very much. They know how to be grateful for the most insignificant gifts. Sometimes the childish admiration of a respectable German colleague for a simple badge presented to him seems strange. The Germans are brought up this way: any kindness should be repaid with gratitude. Even if you give a perfect trifle, a German friend or colleague will express genuine joy. The gift will be placed in a prominent place, and you will be assured that without it the life of the owners would have been incomplete and joyless. Right at the moment of donation, they can pin the badge on the lapel of the jacket and say that they will always wear it. All this, of course, does not mean that your souvenir will stand in the most prominent place in the living room, and the teenage son of a colleague will not part with your badge until he reaches adulthood, but... In general, do not forget about gifts.

Matryoshka - kitsch or a good old tradition?
The Russian nesting doll, for example, makes an excellent souvenir. Of course, if you are the guest of a Russian specialist, he will be very surprised by such a gift. A connoisseur of Russian life understands perfectly well that a nesting doll is a souvenir for foreigners; it was created as a Russian curiosity for a foreign guest. Are there many families in Russia who have a nesting doll?

But in the minds of most Europeans, the nesting doll is an indispensable attribute of Russian life. Moreover, it is a very colorful and iconic souvenir. So let's not break stereotypes!

However, it would be very prudent if you do not give a nesting doll to a family with very young children. A bright painted nesting doll will delight any child. Our craftsmen manage to put up to ten or more “daughters” into one nesting doll. But such small nesting dolls, coated with varnish and therefore very slippery, are dangerous for small children who strive to taste everything. Therefore, it is worth considering that your gift does not cause trouble. If the children of your friends are already grown up and independent, your souvenir will cause everyone to rejoice.

Other souvenirs are also good: painted spoons and other products of Khokhloma masters, lacquer miniatures, items with enamel, Gzhel ceramics. All this characterizes the original folk art of Russia; the soul of the people is invested in it, and therefore such a gift will evoke special gratitude from your friends. Everything where manual labor is used is highly valued in Germany. But don't try to make very expensive gifts. On the one hand, you can put the receiving party in an awkward position. On the other hand, a very valuable souvenir made by a renowned master in one
a unique copy and worth a fortune, may well not be perceived as an exceptional masterpiece. Agree that even many of our compatriots do not always distinguish the exclusive work of Zhostovo craftsmen from the industrial production stampings that flood the souvenir market. And even if we are not always able to distinguish the wheat from the chaff, what can we say about people who are very little familiar with our artistic craft? And don’t try to surprise your friends with your breadth of scope and lordly generosity: this is not only unnecessary, but can even interfere with the establishment of strong contacts.

It's another matter if you know that your friend collects certain things. Then your gift can replenish his collection, and it will become the most desired and best.

Asia and Europe
What is the difference between gifts in Russia and gifts in Germany? Let's try to find the answer to this difficult, very philosophical question. It is not customary for Russians to give minor gifts on important occasions. Of course, there are situations when it is appropriate to give a trinket or some inexpensive gift. But if we go to friends for a birthday, a wedding, a company anniversary, etc., we simply cannot give something insignificant and inexpensive. That's how it is with us.

Should I take the bottle or not?
If you are invited to visit, then often, along with the question of what to give, another question arises: should I take a bottle of alcohol? The question, it must be said, is very delicate.

The three pillars of German well-being are punctuality, practicality, and pedantry. Therefore, you should not be surprised that even souvenir shops in Germany sell useful things, and not trinkets for tourists. What can we say about branded stores, whose products serve (and delight) for decades.

You don’t have to rack your brains about what gift to bring from Germany: Kidpassage has collected ideas for the most useful and original souvenirs for adults and children.

Souvenirs from Germany: what to bring for children

Finding a gift for a child in Germany is easy - the choice of toys is huge, but it is also difficult - how to choose one from a string of dolls, cars, play sets, construction sets? While you're weighing all your options, take a look at some win-win gifts.

1. Christmas tree toys “Nutcracker” (Nussknacker)- like hello from a Hoffmann fairy tale. Wooden nutcrackers will cope with chopping nuts, glass ones will be a good decoration for the Christmas tree. You can easily find a Nutcracker toy: you can buy it at the Christmas market.

2. Bear Berliner Bär- not just a toy, but a symbol of Berlin. He also has brothers, Buddy Bears, figurines of bears painted with bright colors. The real Buddy Bears have gone to different cities around the world, and you can buy smaller copies of them in souvenir shops in Germany.

3. Steiff bear cubs- these soft toys from Germany are among the closest relatives of Teddy bears. Now the company produces other animals, as well as children's clothing.

These are a few typical souvenirs from Germany - what should children from different cities bring?

4. Gifts from different regions. If you are in the port of Hamburg, look for a Buddelschiff, that is, a ship in a bottle, as a gift for your child. From Munich you can bring a toy figurine of a Wolpertinger - a fantastic animal in the form of a hare with deer antlers and owl wings. From Düsseldorf - a souvenir depicting a Radschleger (a man making a wheel).

In Germany you can buy not just souvenirs, but useful and beautiful toys for children.

5. Children's wooden toys from Germany. Little ones will love Heimess mobiles and rattles, two-three year olds will love Haba educational games, Goki pyramids and gurneys, Grimm’s rainbow puzzles, and Selecta simple construction sets. All these toys are made reliably and conscientiously - such things can be passed on from generation to generation.

6. Toys for older children. Dreamers will appreciate the sets from Schleich. Here you can find figurines of knights and dragons, horses and seahorses, DC and Marvel comic book heroes. Children who have their eye on special equipment will be happy to receive a Bruder truck crane or excavator as a gift. The cars of this company are made of the same plastic that is used in the automotive industry. As for the choice of dolls, in stores the eyes widen from the abundance of baby dolls and elegant young ladies. Among the famous German doll manufacturers is the Götz company.

Advice: you don’t have to look for toys for children - they are sold both in branded outlets and in regular toy stores.

7. PLAYMOBIL sets. The choice of sets from this company is huge - from princesses and unicorns to ghost hunters. If you're looking for a special winter gift, check out the Playmobil collection of advent calendars, nativity scenes and Santa figures.

8. Board games. Boxes of board games are piled on the shelves next to the toys. Famous German manufacturers of board games are Ravensburger and Zoch, but lesser-known companies also produce fun, colorful games: simpler ones for kids, more difficult ones for schoolchildren. Having presented such a gift, get ready to keep your child company and enjoy the plot and details of each game.

Sweet gifts

Which child can resist a chocolate bar in a bright wrapper or a hefty bar of marzipan? Here are some sweets from Germany you should definitely buy as a gift for your child:

9. Chocolate Ritter Sport. Among the brands of German chocolate, this is perhaps the most famous. Square bars with nuts, fruits, cereals, cookies, yogurt, nougat - you can buy a whole set of mini bars with different flavors or a couple of large bars of your favorite varieties.

10. Feodora chocolate. Assorted chocolates, sweet bars, holiday sets - Feodora has a suitable treat for lovers of milk and extra-dark chocolate.

11. Candies from the Halloren Schokoladenfabrik factory. The oldest German chocolate factory keeps up with the times: for example, it produces candies in the form of emoji.

12. Leysieffe chocolate. Unusual ingredients are added to chocolate bars: lavender flowers, cranberries, ginger, red pepper.

13. Niederegger marzipan. The company from Lubeck has been producing marzipan for 200 years, and the number of types of marzipan in its assortment has also exceeded 200.

14. Haribo Gummies. Yes, now you can buy them in any store, but in Germany the choice is definitely wider: just black licorice rounds with the Pontefract Cakes stamp can surprise a child.

Tip: For Christmas, candy manufacturers produce chocolate Advent calendars and Nikolaus figurines.

Souvenirs from Germany for adults

When looking through the options for what souvenir to bring from Germany, you can take a closer look at Alpine bells or national costumes. Or you can choose something tasty or something useful around the house - everyone will like such gifts.

Invitation to the table

What products should you bring from Germany? The first thing that comes to mind is beer and sausages. Let's start with them.

15. German sausages- classic Bratwurst, Bavarian white sausages Weißwurst, spicy Currywurst, unusual Mettwurst (they are made from raw minced meat, but they are not supposed to be boiled or fried). You can bring sausages in vacuum packaging or in a jar - they will be well preserved on the road.

16. Mustard. Sausages, of course, need mustard - sweet Sußer Senf or spicy Scharf Senf. The best mustard producers are Handlmaier's and Thomy.

17. Beer. There are only two options - choose a gift from popular beer brands (Oettinger, Krombacher, Paulaner, Warsteiner, etc.) or bring local beer from different regions to sample (Kölsch from Cologne or Altbier from Dusseldorf).

18. Beer mug or glass. A very useful gift from Germany - a liter Maßkrug beer mug. Maß is the name for a measure of beer in Bavaria and Swabia: they are sure that it makes no sense to pour less than a liter. You can choose a thick-walled ceramic mug with a lid, a glass mug, a crystal mug, or even a pewter mug. An alternative to a mug is a thin-walled Pilsner beer glass. It holds foam for a long time, and holds less beer, from 0.33 to 0.5 liters.

19. German wines. From Germany you can bring Eiswein as a gift, that is, dessert “Ice wine”, which is made from grapes frozen on the vine. Dry Moselle wines are also good (it is better to entrust the choice to a specialist who knows the years of good harvest in the Moselle Valley).

20. Wine glasses. You can pair the wine with elegant crystal glasses. Among the German manufacturers with the name are Arnstadt, Nachtmann, Schott Zwiesel, Bohemia Cristal (the company is related to the Czech manufacturers of Bohemian glass).

21. Herbal liqueur Jägermeister 35% ABV - another famous German alcoholic souvenir. It contains 56 components: even connoisseurs cannot recognize them all by taste, and the full composition of the liqueur is kept secret.

22. German cheeses. There are dozens of varieties of cheeses in Germany. To avoid the agony of choice, you can bring a little of everything as a gift:

delicate, creamy Tilsiter taste;
aromatic, with a slight sourness Emmentaler;
lactose-free Bergkäse (you need to look for it in Alpine villages, not in supermarkets);
covered with noble mold Bavaria blu and Cambozola;
good companion to Weisslacker beer;
sung in verse Limburger and other cheeses.

23. Knives. To cut cheese you will need a good knife. And Germany knows a lot about this: WÜSTHOF, Güde and Burgvogel knives from Solingen (Solingen has the official name “city of blades”), as well as Friedr. Dick (or F. Dick) will last in the kitchen for decades.

24. Frankfurt green sauce. It consists of eggs, oil, salt, vinegar and a dozen herbs. You can bring herbs as a gift: packages of herbs for Frankfurter Grüne Soße are sold at markets. In the package you will find sorrel, watercress, parsley, dill, lemon balm, basil, as well as lesser-known chervil, borage, chives, burnet.

Advice: we recommend buying knives, porcelain, crystal and other expensive souvenirs in Germany in company stores.

25. Porcelain. To turn gatherings at the table into a luxurious lunch or dinner, present exquisite German porcelain to your loved ones or friends. The most famous is Meissen, produced at the oldest porcelain manufactory in Europe. Fürstenberg, Nymphenburg and Rosenthal porcelain is not inferior to it in quality and elegance.

Cosmetics for women and men

You definitely know the names of at least two brands of German cosmetics and perfumes. But now there is much more.

26. Eau de Cologne- for a man. "Cologne water", invented in 1709, is now sold only in . But in stores you can buy a modern version of the perfume, Echt Kölnisch Wasser No. 4711.

27. Skin care cosmetics- for women. The brands Nivea, Schwarzkopf, Essence are known all over the world, but it has long been noticed that in Germany their quality is higher than in Eastern European countries. In addition, it is worth paying attention to eco-cosmetics, which are represented by products from Lavera, Weleda, Logona, Dr. Haushka.

New Year gifts

Christmas markets in Germany are filled with all sorts of cute souvenirs, Christmas tree decorations and fragrant pastries. What special things can you find on the shelves?

28. Glass toys for the Christmas tree. The famous manufacturer of Christmas tree decorations in Germany is the company Krebs Glas Lauscha. Expensive, but truly magical decorations themselves can bring a holiday to the house. At fairs, you don’t have to look for toys with a name: choose what you like.

29. Weihnachtspyramide carousel pyramids. The main part of such carousels is candles and a propeller, which rotates from the warm air emanating from the candles. The decor can vary greatly: from a simple wooden mill to a multi-tiered composition.

30. Smoking men Räuchermännchen. These Christmas toys are very popular in Saxony. They represent a figurine of a man with a smoking pipe in his teeth. Inside the figurine there is a niche where a smoking candle is placed. The smoke from the candle comes out through the tube.

31. Musical toys. Boxes from which the melody of Christmas carols can be heard are a very touching gift. Such music boxes can be found, for example, in the Villeroy & Boch collection.

32. Gingerbread Lebkuchen. It’s hard not to get confused here - in Germany they bake a huge amount of sweets for Christmas, and each region has its own recipes. Fairs sell huge painted gingerbread cookies, but you can also look for something special: round Nuremberg gingerbread, rectangular Aachen gingerbread with whole almonds, or marzipan Frankfurt gingerbread.

33. Dresden Stollen. A dense dry cake with raisins, candied fruits and almonds only becomes tastier after aging for a long time. A person who likes to tinker with dough can be given a recipe for this Christmas delicacy along with stollen.

Tip: Vintage Christmas tree decorations and nativity scenes can be found at flea markets.

Buying souvenirs takes several hours, and even a few weeks are not enough to explore the sights of Germany. If you have not yet decided on your travel route, take a look at: this will help you create a vacation program.

The well-known saying that “another person’s soul is darkness” takes on even more acute meaning when it comes to foreigners. What if this is an unfamiliar foreigner from a power that was once hostile to us, in other words, a German? Coming to visit Russia or hosting you in your homeland? You definitely can’t do without memorable gifts. But what can you do to please a person from the most prosperous European country?

To begin with, the Germans are not only straightforward and pragmatic, they also have completely different traditions regarding gift items and courtesy visits. You should not give a resident of Germany expensive gifts, such as jewelry, exclusive souvenirs and handmade decorative items; they simply will not understand or appreciate it. Some will be embarrassed, some will hide the package on a distant shelf, and some will throw it away completely, not understanding the true value of the item. At the same time, they will smile, sincerely thank you for the wonderful gift and put it in a prominent place.

The best gift for the hostess, if you are invited by a German woman, will be flowers: an expensive bouquet, a composition of wildflowers or dried ikebana and a box of chocolates. A universal option is souvenir products (just don’t buy real Palekh boxes or tabletop compositions made of amber and malachite):

nesting dolls, dolls in national Russian and Ukrainian costumes;
painted wooden spoons, boards, birch bark products;
crafts made from straw, ceramics (Gzhel), porcelain (if you give a tea pair, then with a minimum of drawings and decor);
illustrated publications, calendars dedicated to our museums, Russian architecture, folk crafts, architecture and Russian cuisine.

Also traditional gifts for Germans, like all other foreigners, are products with a national touch: vodka, red caviar, Tula gingerbread, as well as chocolate and candies from our best factories. A man can be presented with a police cap, a hat with earflaps, a soldier’s cap with a cockade, a belt or a “Budenovka” with a star, or a wooden beer mug. Such things always go off with a bang.

If the person you are choosing a gift for is your business partner or will soon become one, then etiquette dictates that you look for gifts among printing and stationery products. Badges, desk calendars, pens, diaries, refrigerator magnets, flags with symbols of Russia or Ukraine, with images of the Kremlin, Red Square, landscapes of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv or the city where you are from are suitable for your purposes.

Remember, your gift should be symbolic, inexpensive, have a national flavor, and then your German friend will really like it and remember it and he will have the most pleasant memories of you.

I want to talk about what to give a German for his birthday or for any other holiday on which you want to congratulate this person.

If you work with Germans, or in a German company, or work in Germany, or you have German business partners, or you are in Germany, then the question arises, what is the best gift to give to the Germans.

First of all, a direct question

The most correct method would be if you are not yet very familiar with the company you are working with, and also if you do not know the people with whom you work very well, then the best way is always a direct question.

It is best to directly ask the person who has been communicating with these people for a long time or who has been working in this company for a long time. Ask him if it is customary for them to give gifts at all. Because it is not customary in all German companies to give gifts even on big, important holidays such as Christmas or a birthday. That is, it’s better to clarify about the gift to the Germans.

What you can give: food for thought

If you clarified this important point and still found out that it is customary for them to give gifts, or if you decided to give a gift in any case, then the question is what to choose.

When you give gifts to Germans, it is better to avoid expensive gifts.

It’s better to buy something that would cost, let’s say, about 1,000 (thousand) rubles. Try NOT to choose any expensive gifts or gifts that look expensive, because Germans may view this negatively. They may not even accept such a gift, deciding that in this way they are obliging themselves to something to you.

It is best to choose a simpler gift, but make it truly from the heart. You can even make it yourself if possible.

What to choose, what is the best gift for a German? There is a standard option: it is best to give a gift that a person can use in some way almost immediately after it is given. For example, you can give

some tea or
coffee or
maybe a bottle of wine, not very expensive - this is important.
You can give a gift certificate from some store that you think this person might be interested in.

What not to give

Books are generally NOT considered a good gift. More precisely, most Germans do not really like books as gifts.

It also doesn’t look very good when you give some gifts that, perhaps, do not really match the lifestyle of the person to whom you are giving the gift. Simply put, you don’t need to give a person tickets to the opera unless you somehow find out that this person loves classical music and, in particular, opera. Otherwise, the gift will not have the effect that you might have expected.

In addition, when you choose a gift, you can always make it yourself and, as a rule, in the vast majority of cases this will be received very positively, because you have put your soul into this gift. It did not cost a lot of money, that is, the person will not feel that he owes you anything and such a gift will reflect your personality.

For example, you can bake some delicious cookies or,
It's possible to do something with your own hands.
Maybe draw something, if you draw.

And this will always be a very pleasant and bright gift that your colleagues and friends will surely like.

Video “What to give to German colleagues or boss for a holiday”

P.S. Check out other resources on intercultural communication.