问答题 Symbols may also be ordinary, useful goods that have acquired special meaning. Certain cars indicate wealth; others may express youth, daring, power, or involvement in a lifestyle for their owners. In other cultures, a cow or pig of a particular color and confirmation can evoke similar feelings. The same object, even when used for the same purpose, may mean quite different things across cultures. For example, both Americans and Vietnamese bury their dead in coffins, and both may invest a great deal of money in coffins. But those Vietnamese who can afford to purchase a coffin long before an elderly person dies do so and put it on display -- much to that person's delight. The Vietnamese honor departed relatives on "death days" (the day a relative died) in much the same way Americans celebrate birthdays -- by inviting the family, preparing an elaborate meal, decorating the house, lighting candles, and toasting the person who is the center of the event.