Don't Gift Knives or Sharp Objects

Gifting knives, scissors, or blades "cuts" the relationship between giver and receiver. Even passing scissors hand-to-hand is avoided — you place them on a surface for the other person. Monetary gifts (shagun) must be in odd numbers (₹101, ₹501, ₹1,001) — round numbers end in zero, signifying completion/ending, while the extra ₹1 represents new beginnings.

In Hindu culture and Vastu Shastra, sharp objects carry the energy of separation. The principle connects to "Ahimsa paramo dharmah" (non-violence is the highest duty). This taboo exists across Swiss, German, Brazilian, Egyptian, Chinese, Japanese, and Indian cultures. Multiple cultures independently developed the same counter-ritual: attach a small coin so the recipient "pays" for the sharp object, transforming a gift into a transaction.

Handing sharp objects directly is genuinely dangerous — placing scissors down rather than passing hand-to-hand is essentially a safety protocol wrapped in superstition. Symbolically, gifts are acts of bonding, and a blade is a tool of separation. The ₹1 tradition creates a psychological sense of continuity — the gift isn't "complete," so the relationship continues.

The Japanese knife company Oishya includes a 5-yen coin with every knife sold — the coin (go-en) sounds like "good fortune/fate," so the exchange both neutralizes bad luck and invokes good luck. Marketing genius meets ancient superstition. Meanwhile, wedding registries worldwide still quietly avoid listing knife sets.