Chrystal Holman asked:

When considering what is the traditional gift for a Chinese wedding there really are three different answers.

There is a formal Chinese giving of wedding gifts from the groom’s family to the bride’s family, which is referred to as the traditional Grand Gifts. There are also the Chinese gifts that the wedding guests present and give to the couple. Lastly, there are also the gifts, or wedding favors that the bride and groom give to their wedding guests.

The Grand Gifts are wedding gifts that the Chinese groom’s family give to the bride’s family after the terms of the marriage have been negotiated and a fortune teller has analyze the date and hour of the bride’s birth with the date and hour of the groom’s birth to determine if the bride’s date and hour of birth are compatible with those of the groom.

Traditional Grand Gifts include the following items: Li Shi Money; jewelries; dragon-phoenix cakes; dried seafood and mushroom and Fat Cai; poultries; fish; coconut; wine or liquor; a Tie Box with dried fruits; raw fruit; Bin Lang; and tea.

The traditional wedding gifts are given over a period of several days and the purpose in the Chinese tradition is for these gifts to be used for ancestral worship.

The traditional Chinese wedding gifts that wedding guests give to the couple are not near as elaborate as the Grand Gifts. These gifts to the Chinese bride and groom customarily consist of gifts of cash, stuffed in red packets or envelopes.

The last type of gift in a traditional Chinese wedding is the wedding favors that the bride and groom give to the wedding guests.

These gifts are usually small items such as engraved silver fortune cookies, sake cups filled with lavender, porcelain tea cups, jasmine flowering tea in silk pouches, bridal coffee scoops, personalized plantable magic beans, candy bags, glass oil lamps, potpourri wedding bells bags, bridal candy flower pots, candy mint tins, and many more beautiful items that Chinese wedding guests can treasure.

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When it comes to innovation, nothing beats the Japanese. Our Asian friends often leave no stone unturned in their quest for beauty and perfection. That’s probably the reason why they’ve come up with lots of unusual – and sometimes silly – inventions.

To give you an idea of what I mean, here’s a brief overview of bizarre beauty products from the Land of the Rising Sun courtesy of UniqueDaily.com and 3yen.com. The products featured here are not guaranteed to work but I promise they’ll give you plenty of laughs.

Are you bothered by the size of your nose? Many Asian girls are and want to do something about their small, flat noses. The Hana Hana Nose Stretcher will change all that.

This beauty accessory is nothing more than an industrial-strength clothespin. Wear it for just a few minutes for a couple of days and it will supposedly make your nose bigger and longer. The manufacturer claims it stretches the nose cartilage to give the user a beautiful and balanced face – whatever the heck that means! At less than $7, this natural nose lift is a real bargain. Perfect for those who are afraid of plastic surgery!

Fans of the ax-wielding maniac Jason Vorhees in the Friday the 13th film series can now look like their favorite horror icon with the Face Slimmer. In Japan, a slim face is a mark of beauty. Put on this rubber mask and it supposedly massages and melts away fat from your face. No batteries required.

The Head Bath Cap looks like it was made especially for Marquis de Sade, the French aristocrat and writer of violent pornography. Put the cap over your head and fill it with water. The trapped water is said to be good for the scalp and will help you grow thicker and fuller hair. Since the cap covers the entire face and only has one opening on top, don’t wear it tightly or you could drown in the damned thing!

Want to look taller? Then the Neck Stretcher is for you! Just place this accordion-like device around your neck and fill it with air with the included hand pump. In minutes, it will stretch your neck and hopefully increase your height. Warning: overuse of this product can make you look like a giraffe!

The Slim Mouth Piece supposedly exercises the muscles around the mouth to help you lose fat. The manufacturer said it tones your face by expanding and contracting flaccid facial muscles. Use it for only 2-3 minutes a day to “sharpen your features.”

“Despite its misleading name, this gadget is supposed to make your mouth bigger, not smaller. Bigger? Yes, bigger. Who on earth would want this? Well, the theory is that if you widen your mouth, you will have the appearance of a small face, so prized by the Japanese,” said an unnamed English teacher in “Fungus Mungus’ Weird Stuff in Japan.”

Exercising the mouth sounds like a good idea. But if you ask me, that area gets all the exercise it needs from smiling, talking and eating. Still, the Slim Mouth Piece would make a good conversation piece. Get yours for $9.50.

If you’re looking for a natural way to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles without having to go through the pains of costly plastic surgery or cosmetic injections, don’t waste time going to Japan. The solution is right here with the Rejuvinol AM/PM Botox Alternative Age-Defying System. This powerful anti-aging formula consists of the Rejuvinol morning moisturizer that nourishes and strengthens the skin; and the Rejuvox night cream that relaxes tense, tired facial muscles. For more information, go to http://www.rejuvinol.com.