Iow, don’t be offended

You don't even have to mention that this is a Christmas/Yule ornament. It's just another gift you get that you don't need.
Put it outside with a free sign and all the coffee mugs too.

Say "thank you" and quietly recycle the gift, just as one does with any other unwanted gift.

I was gifted an entire ham once, I am Muslim so I immediately told the gifter I couldn’t accept it. I didn’t want to throw it out so it’s better I tell her upfront so she can regift it. I get wine bottles all the time too, I just throw those out. I recently got a few ornaments and plan to just donate them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really? You can’t think of any creative re-use, OP? I BUY ornaments (nearly all are non religious- snowflakes, happy holidays, winter-themed) to attach to gift bags and or wrapped presents and cards.

I use the same ornaments on seasonal wreaths and decor inside and outside of my house.

Think of ornaments as fancy tags or embellishments.

+1. I’m no longer religious and don’t mind Xmas ornaments. They’re not religious either

Not being religious is different from someone being Jewish.

Anonymous wrote:There are Christmas trees all over the place. Just hang it on one and leave it.

Omg I love this.

It would make the trees in my workplace lobby look less generic!

Also chuckling at stealthily adding it to someone's personal tree at a holiday party.

If you just like the appearance or it's sentimental, you can just save it as a tchocke, put it on your mantle, desk, bookshelf etc.

If not, but if it's nice, offer it to a friend who does have a tree as a PP said - they can say no.

And finally donate if nice or trash otherwise like any other junky gift.

I do think it's kind of a presumptuous gift as a lot of people don't necessarily celebrate Xmas or have a tree.

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, be happy someone gave you a gift. My neighbors are Indian and celebrate Diwali every year. They give us Diwali snacks and every year we get excited and say Thanks. People want to share in their holiday traditions with others and it's well meaning. Stop trying to find the evil in everything.

Snacks are a little different though? NP but I would very happily eat a snack. OP is asking what to do with a gift she can’t use (no tree) and probably shouldn’t eat.

I think the answer is fairly obvious — say thank you and then either give it to someone who does have a tree to display it on or throw it out or donate it — but I also don’t think OP was suggesting there’s anything evil involved. FWIW, I’m Jewish and have never had a tree.

Say thanks and either give it to someone else or toss it.

Re gift, donate it, drop it off at a nursing home or hospital

Unless the person has been actively trying to convert you and you think it’s a passive aggressive move, you do what you do with any other gift - say “thank you” and the keep, toss, or regift to someone no way connected to the original giver.

Anonymous wrote:I thank them and then offer it to someone who celebrates Christmas. Last time I got one was from a company I worked for - they gave a huge glass snowflake ornament thing. I thanked the person handing them out, and on my way out that day stopped by someone's desk and offered it to them.

Then another jewish coworker asked what I did with mine, I told them, and like half a dozen jewish coworkers gave their ornaments to that one person.

Ha! So funny. Although to be honest, a snowflake isn't a Christian symbol at all. You could just hang it somewhere.

I know OP said not to give examples of people of other religions having a tree, but I had a Muslim friend in college whose parents had a tree and presents specifically for their kids so that they wouldn't feel left out. At the time we lived in a very Catholic European country, and other religions were not celebrated in the news and popular culture - and they still aren't.

But I entirely understand if the object in question has direct Christian connotations. OP, maybe give it to a neighbor?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Say thanks and pass it on or donate it.

Yup. It’s like any other gift you have absolutely no use for, and probably came from someone you don’t know well so it’s not going to be sentimental.

Op here The problem is that I work in an elementary school, so some of these ornaments are actually very sweet heartfelt gfts from students

I’m the one you’re replying to and I also work in a school. ( I’m Jewish and don’t consider Christmas secular and get pretty tired of being so immersed in it everywhere I go, but accept that this is the culture we live in. )

The kid gives me an ornament. I say thank you. I display it on the shelf in the classroom for the season because it makes the kid happy. Then I toss it or give it away. If I felt sentimental about it and I didn’t want to display it at home, it can go in a shoebox on a shelf. Or keep it on display in the classroom with other trinkets to remember your kids. I don’t generally like to keep “stuff” but if you’re sentimental then those are the options.

I don't drink wine and I get gifts of wine all the time. I pass them along. No different then any other gift you can not use.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Say thanks and pass it on or donate it.

Yup. It’s like any other gift you have absolutely no use for, and probably came from someone you don’t know well so it’s not going to be sentimental.

Op here The problem is that I work in an elementary school, so some of these ornaments are actually very sweet heartfelt gfts from students

That's super easy. Thank them sincerely and then toss it. They will never know. And you don't need to "educate" elementary schoolers on whether you celebrate Christmas or not - they just want to give you something.

We're Jewish and I know our kid's 2nd grade teacher is Jewish, but we gave her a "holiday" gift anyway because that seems to be what one does in a public school. Of course, it wasn't a Christmas ornament.