The Strange Gift Koreans Bring to Housewarming Parties

In Korea, even the most ordinary housewarming gifts can come with a little meaning.

Growing up in a Korean household in Los Angeles, there was one housewarming gift I never questioned. It wasn't particularly beautiful or expensive, and it certainly wasn't something you'd bother wrapping. But it was perfectly normal to bring to someone's new home.

It was also something I rarely saw Americans bring to housewarming parties. Wine, flowers, candles, or something for the kitchen? Sure. But this particular gift was usually reserved for Korean households.

Not the most glamorous housewarming gift, but in Korea, a giant pack of toilet paper is a perfectly normal way to wish someone good luck in their new home.

I'm talking about toilet paper. Usually one of those enormous packages with enough rolls to last for months.

I don't remember anyone explaining why toilet paper was an acceptable gift. It was just something we did. Someone moves into a new home, you bring toilet paper or laundry detergent.

But as I got older, I started thinking it was a little strange to show up at someone's new place carrying a giant package of toilet paper.

I'd much rather bring a Jo Malone candle or a nicely packaged Diptyque soap.

Something a little more bougie. I mean, if you're going to bring someone a bathroom product, why not make it a fancy one?

And yet, I still see people bringing toilet paper to housewarming parties on Korean television. Not just older people, either. Celebrities will show up at someone's apartment holding one of those enormous packs, and nobody seems to think twice about it.

So I finally got curious. Why toilet paper?

In Korea, a housewarming party is called jipdeuri (집들이), and toilet paper has traditionally been one of the go-to gifts. The explanation I've come across is that toilet paper unrolls easily, which symbolizes the hope that everything in the new home will go smoothly. No major problems, no unnecessary complications. Just a nice, easy life.

Laundry detergent is another popular gift. Apparently, the bubbles are supposed to represent prosperity and good fortune, with the hope that good things will multiply the way bubbles do.

I have no idea who first came up with these associations, and I couldn't find a definitive historical origin. But I do find it funny that two of the most ordinary household products ended up representing such nice wishes.

Korean gift-giving has a few other traditions that are worth knowing about, too. Some are familiar enough that I grew up hearing about them without necessarily believing them.

For example, you're supposedly not meant to give shoes to someone you're dating because they might wear them and run away from you. Which is unfortunate, because a nice pair of shoes seems like a pretty good gift.

Knives and scissors are another questionable choice because they're said to symbolize cutting ties. Handkerchiefs have traditionally been associated with tears or separation, and the number four is considered unlucky because the Korean word for four sounds exactly like the word for death.

Of course, these are superstitions, not rules everyone follows. People give their partners shoes all the time, and I doubt most Koreans would turn down a nice kitchen knife because they're worried about ending a friendship.

Still, I think it's interesting how much meaning can be attached to something as ordinary as a gift. A pair of expensive shoes might supposedly end your relationship, but a package of toilet paper is wishing someone a happy, trouble-free life.

As for housewarming gifts, toilet paper and detergent are still around, although there are plenty of other options now. Candles, diffusers, hand soaps, small appliances, and kitchenware are all common suggestions. It really depends on the person and what they might need.

And honestly, I can understand why someone living in a small apartment might prefer a candle over a giant pack of toilet paper. Especially if three other guests had the same idea.

I still prefer bringing something a little nicer when I'm invited to someone's home. Maybe it's just my taste, or maybe I've been influenced by all those beautifully packaged home fragrances.

But now, whenever I see someone carrying a huge package of toilet paper into a housewarming party on Korean television, I understand the gesture a little better.

Although I have to admit, I'd still be pretty happy to receive a Diptyque soap.

Images in this article were created using AI for illustrative purposes.