Growing up, I frequently heard the rule "silence is golden."  Of course, as a child I thought it meant children should be seen and not heard.  As I grew a little older, I learned that a way around this problem with adults - you know, parents, grandparents, teachers - was to ask questions.  Adults seldom had a problem with my asking questions. 

I spent a lot of time hanging around on the edges of the adults at family gatherings because I was fascinated by what they talked about and what they didn't talk about. 

What they didn't talk about very often was money, and I can't remember a single conversation where the "adults" talked about giving to charity or even to church.  And like all kids of my generation, I spent a lot of idle time in the back seat of the car over-hearing the adults, and even then they didn't talk about it.

I don't think much has changed over the years - we still don't talk much about giving, as if the "silence is golden" rule is still in effect.