Reply to If you don't celebrate Christmas what do you do when someone gives you an Christmas ornament?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
It's weird too because a least a few of the people who have gifted me Christmas ornaments know that I'm not celebrating Christmas but somehow don't make the connection that I don't have a tree in my house. So I don't really have any need or use for ornaments. I always thank them but then it's just useless tchotchke that I have no use for in my home. If you are in a similar situation what do you do with an ornament?

. I'm sure there will be a bunch of non Christians coming out of the word work to tell me they are X religion but still have a Christmas tree but that's not me.[/quote]

Also Jewish and I have come to the conclusion that people who didn't grow up in a very Jewish area or with lots of Jewish friends think Hanukkah is basically Christmas with the same or similar traditions, but some extra candles thrown in. So they probably do think you have a tree; it didn't even occur to them that anyone would not have a tree. (And, of course, some Jews do have trees, so also maybe the last Jewish person they met had one.)

I was talking about traditions with a Christian friend and she was so shocked to hear that there is no Hanukkah "season" - there's Thanksgiving, and then one day there is Hanukkah, there is nothing in between and no major anticipation like for Christmas. Likewise, I had not really realized that the Christmas "season" for her was about Advent, leading up to Christmas. I knew Advent existed, I just never thought about it or what it meant, or why people started getting excited for Christmas so early. I always thought it was kind of like kids getting excited early for Halloween - and of course to some extent it is - but there is also a mandated leadup if you're religious. So it makes more sense to me now.

All that to say, I always take gifts in the spirit in which they're intended and give a sincere thank you. And then 90% of the time I toss it. I only keep things I really like, or that I need. A Christmas ornament in no way will be either! Though if it's in the workplace I might display it for a bit. I have a truly ugly Hanukkah ornament that a (very religious Christian) boss gave me a few years ago. I put it on my desk for a bit to show gratitude and I never got around to throwing it out, and now it reminds me of him (he left a while back but was a great boss), so somehow it has escaped my 90% rule and is still there.[/quote]

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