Korean Housewarming Gift

A traditional Korean housewarming gift is laundry detergent--just FYI in case a Korean loved one gives you "washing powders" when you move into a new home. (Don't take it as a hint that your clothes stink or that you need to do more laundry or something.) The concept is that the soap makes bubbles, which symbolize prosperity and good things and so on and so forth. I would also think that clean clothes are always nice, and that's one less thing you have to buy at the store, right? (Also, on the flip side, as a gift-giver, laundry detergent is a pretty easy and inexpensive gift. I need to remember this! Not too difficult to mess up something like laundry detergent while wishing someone congratulations on a new abode, huh? ... Well, unless someone has allergies or a favorite brand, etc., but you can ask ahead.) Seriously, though, this was new to me, and I LOVE this tradition. We just received our second laundry-detergent housewarming gift last night when our friends Burt and Jennifer came over for dinner. (Mike and Darlene also bought us some detergent upon their first visit to our house last month. I meant to get a photo of them with the Tide, but ... alas ... I did not. Sorry to have failed you, my blog reader(s).)

Anyway, Burt and Tanna staged this "grip-and-grin" photo above after the below staged photo didn't work out due to lack of flash. In the below photo, notice that Tanna is receiving the gift with both hands. In Korean culture, it is customary to present and to receive gifts with both hands as a sign of respect. Also, while I am thinking of various Korean things, it also is customary to show respect when you are shaking hands by putting your other hand up to the elbow of the arm that is attached to the hand with which you are doing the shaking. I know that is written in very confusing manner, but try real hard and you should be able to figure it out. Or just google it. You'll see.

ETA: I just googled it, and a better way of putting it is something like this: Support your right forearm with your left hand while shaking hands. Also, this is accompanied with a bow. Additionally, as a disclaimer, your gender and age and the gender and age of the person you are interacting with should be considered--which could very well change everything. :o)



We are sincerely thankful for our new laundry detergent. Anyone want to come over and wash some clothes?