Some people call presents "gifts". I probably used to. But then I moved to Vienna and encountered the German language. Now, I never give anyone gifts.
My aversion to gifts is the result of my first attempt to buy one in a German speaking environment. It was not long before Christmas and a friend of mine back in Australia had given birth to a little boy. I decided that the Christmas market in front of the Rathaus in Vienna would be a perfect place to buy a present for the baby. I was hoping to find a cuddly toy he could have in his cot with him, or a wooden wheeled object he could, when a little older, roll about the kitchen floor.
But I was stumped. While there were lots and lots of lovely things for sale, each time I looked closer I found they bore labels on which were written the words "Nicht Giftig". Was it an Austrian law or a local custom that prevented these things from being presented as gifts, I wondered. I had been told years before that the Scots believe you should never give a knife as a present but why on earth would you prohibit people from providing children with teddies and wooden trains?
It must be the European Union, I decided, health and safety and the fact that all these things were handmade and so hadn't had an inspector check that they wouldn't choke a child or cause them harm. And while I disapproved of such measures and loved the idea of giving something that the child receiving it wouldn't find seven identical examples of lying under the tree, I didn't want my friend's child's dath on my conscience.
So I left the Christmas market and went to a department store, which was full of factorymade things. Like most shopping these days, it was pretty dispiriting as nothing there possessed beauty or had been made with a craftsman's skill. On the other hand, most things, having been made in China, had packaging printed in English, including messages about being safe for infants.
It was only after Christmas that I enrolled in German language lessons. Too late I discovered what "giftig" really meant.
Goodness. How do you feel about mist?
ReplyDeleteUnclear? Mistified? Enough with the feeble attempts at so-called humour, Zoë (that is me talking to me, not admonishing you, in case it is unclear)
DeleteBy the way, the superstition about knives is not limited to Scotland. You can find it mentioned in Merimee's novel Colomba, which is set in Corsica. And I worked with a woman born in Ireland who would not hand one scissors, but set them down near one on a flat surface--handing someone a sharp object might cut off the friendship.
ReplyDeleteOh no, if you knew how many superstitions I already infuriate my family with - and now scissors can be added to the list. I hope you both have a wonderful Christmas & it would be nice to think we might meet up again in the new year
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