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Original poster

Cleaner doesn’t celebrate Christmas

51 replies

PurpleDaisies · 05/12/2019 16:57

My very lovely cleaner mentioned today that she doesn’t celebrate Christmas. I’d normally give a card and a box of chocs as a small present. Would you do it anyway? Thinking of waiting until new year.

OP posts:
Original poster
PurpleDaisies · 05/12/2019 16:58

Sorry, I enabled voting by mistake. This was supposed to be just chat.

YANBU can mean give the chocs. YABU means leave it.

OP posts:
Flower777 · 05/12/2019 16:59

I would do it anyway. But don’t write happy Christmas in the card. Just write thank you maybe.

Original poster
PurpleDaisies · 05/12/2019 16:59

That’s exactly what I was thinking flower.

OP posts:

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Christmas
BloodyCats · 05/12/2019 17:00

Just give it as a thank you for your help this year maybe. Just don’t mention Christmas

qazxc · 05/12/2019 17:01

I doubt that she would take offense to card and a box of chocolates. If in doubt make the card a "Thank you for your help during the year" as opposed to "Merry Christmas".

justcantthink · 05/12/2019 17:02

I would give her the present. You celebrate Christmas and I'm sure she wouldn't turn down some choccies.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 05/12/2019 17:02

Mine is a JW and doesn't celebrate Christmas, so I give her what I'd normally pay her as a bonus. It's the school holidays and means she can have time off with her DC with no loss of income (and I have to get re-acquainted with the grout and the u-bend).

Moominfan · 05/12/2019 17:03

I'd just write happy holidays. Does she celebrate any other holiday? I always get my Muslim neighbours a fruit basket and happy eid card

OctoberLovers · 05/12/2019 17:04

I would give a thank you card instead with the chocolates

Original poster
PurpleDaisies · 05/12/2019 17:05

I think she’s a JW but I was rushing out the door and didn’t ask.

Thanks for the reassurance. I’m sure she wouldn’t say anything but she always does a great job and is such a nice person that I don’t want to do the wrong thing.

OP posts:
lifeisgoodagain · 05/12/2019 17:06

Just give her the chocolates but no card. My Muslim clients always give me a gift

Marinetta · 05/12/2019 17:07

My DP doesnt celebrate christmas but he's more than willing to accept any gifts that come his way. You could probably not bother with the card though it may just go straight in the bin but I'm sure chocolates will be well recieved.

Wellmet · 05/12/2019 17:07

I'd give something if you want to. I've worked with lots of people who didn't celebrate Christmas, and they were all happy to receive cards and gifts anyway! Lots would even send cards themselves, and some even joined in with secret Santa, just to be in the spirit of things at work! At home it was just another day for them.

Although one of my Muslim friends says that her family get together for a nice home cooked meal on Christmas, as most people are off work and everywhere is closed, they may as well.

joCmummy · 05/12/2019 17:08

A thank you doesn't have to be for Xmas 😁

Wellmet · 05/12/2019 17:10

Ah, JW is a bit different I think. They actively don't celebrate Christmas, rather than Christmas simply meaning nothing to them.
How about a new year gift? Pretty sure you can get cards.

JellyBellies · 05/12/2019 17:26

Don't over think it. I don't celebrate Christmas. I still give my cleaner a Christmas bonus and I am happy to receive chocolates myself!

Candace19 · 05/12/2019 17:29

I dated a JW and I would say no to present / card. They really don't celebrate it. I would add a bonus.

ChristaMSieland · 05/12/2019 17:31

Give her a Happy New Year present instead.

Spied · 05/12/2019 17:35

I'd not. Wait till her BirthdayGrin.
Sorry!!!
Seriously, I'd give her a small gift and card in the new year.

StoneColdSaidSo · 05/12/2019 17:38

Just give her a box of chocolate and a card with enjoy the holidays or happy holidays written on it. Mil is JW (dh is not but grew up in it) and although she doesn’t celebrate, she does accept gifts that the dc have made for her. They just don’t write merry Xmas on them.

SimonJT · 05/12/2019 17:39

My cleaner is a JW, it would be really rude of me to ignore her beliefs and get her a gift. Instead when she chooses her yearly charity we give her some money towards her fundraising target.

Redcrayons · 05/12/2019 17:41

My JW colleague doesn’t celebrate, but certainly doesn’t mind the free chocolates and wine he gets from suppliers.

‘Thanks for all your help this year’ after Christmas may be more appropriate.

WorraLiberty · 05/12/2019 17:45

My cleaner is a JW, it would be really rude of me to ignore her beliefs and get her a gift.

It's never rude to give a gift

I don't believe in Allah but I quite happily except Eid presents because they're given with love and kindness.

Assuming the OP is in the UK, the JW will be perfectly aware that Christmas is a big thing here and that gift giving is perfectly normal.

apple0pie · 05/12/2019 17:46

Some places sell happy new year cards which you could give with a gift

UpperLowercaseSymbolNumber · 05/12/2019 17:49

I would give her the gift with a card - not a Christmas card but a thank you card or a plain card. Inside I would write “thank you for your help during 2019” and give it to her the last time you see her in 2019.

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