Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 23:48     Subject: Re:Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
My office has a Christmas tree in our reception area. I find it odd. No other decorations - just the tree. I've wondered who provides the ornaments, etc.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 23:35     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
It's Trumptomania at work. I celebrate Christmas but I completely get what you are saying. Last year wouldn't have been a wreath.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 23:30     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Anonymous wrote:I worked in a college of public health and created a k*ckass wreath for the door that was made out of red and green condoms. They took it down because someone was offended. We give out condoms regularly, and we have a wreath on the door, but apparently a wreath out of condoms was too much.

It's just a wreath.


This is awesome. So many non-religious wreath ideas...
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 23:20     Subject: Re:Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
I don't think a wreath is a big deal.

In my office, they distributed mini- Christmas trees (like on a desk stand) and each person was asked to decorate it, and the winner would get some prize. I'm Jewish. I said I didn't have any experience decorating Christmas trees, and I was cajoled into participating. Finally, I just said no.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 22:54     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:And, I place wreaths on my door all year long. Search wreaths on Pinterest. Fall weather, spring wreaths, Valentine's day wreaths, summer wreaths, winter wreaths, and holiday wreaths.

It's not a special thing done only at Christmas.


A lot of people only do it at Christmas though. And that is surely the case for these workplaces.


Maybe in DC. In other places I have lived most single family homes have some sort of wreath (non religious) most of the year. There are football wreaths, flip flop wreaths, beach wreaths, fall wreaths, flower wreaths for spring. It's for fun and to add some color. Two of my old friends sell them year round.

In contrast, most of my neighbors here never put out wreaths, even during the holidays. I find it somewhat depressing. I don't associate door decorating and wreaths only with religious holidays.


Interesting. I did not know that. I've lived in CT, PA, DC, and MD, and in all these areas the wreaths were primarily Christmas-related.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 22:52     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m jewish and I would not be happy. Wreaths and trees are both associated with Christmas. Many people will say that in America there is a secular Christmas celebration. However I disagree and Christmas is a Christian holiday. I think everyone is entitled to celebrate their holidays the way they want but I also think it is wrong of people to impose traditions on others.

I would probably decline the invitation due to the nature of the Christian themed games at the event. Now, if my Christian friend invited me to her Christmas party and the game was wreath decorating, I’m all in. In the workplace though, it is just not appropriate.

But wreaths are non just associated with Christmas.

Cookies are associated with Christmas. If they had a cookie decorating contest, would you be offended? Serious question.


We just had a holiday party where the Jews in our office were offended by the snowmen decorations because they said snowmen are associated with Christmas.


Okay, that's nuts. I'm Jewish and don't love the wreaths (though I wouldn't make a stink about it) but snowmen -- that is going way, way over the line. My guess is they objected to having a holiday party at all, somehow.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 21:59     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Wreaths are said to symbolize the crown of thorns put on Jesus. We are not Christians and do not hang wreaths in or on our home.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 21:57     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
I would not like it either. It's insensitive.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 21:50     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m jewish and I would not be happy. Wreaths and trees are both associated with Christmas. Many people will say that in America there is a secular Christmas celebration. However I disagree and Christmas is a Christian holiday. I think everyone is entitled to celebrate their holidays the way they want but I also think it is wrong of people to impose traditions on others.

I would probably decline the invitation due to the nature of the Christian themed games at the event. Now, if my Christian friend invited me to her Christmas party and the game was wreath decorating, I’m all in. In the workplace though, it is just not appropriate.

But wreaths are non just associated with Christmas.

Cookies are associated with Christmas. If they had a cookie decorating contest, would you be offended? Serious question.


We just had a holiday party where the Jews in our office were offended by the snowmen decorations because they said snowmen are associated with Christmas.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 21:39     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:And, I place wreaths on my door all year long. Search wreaths on Pinterest. Fall weather, spring wreaths, Valentine's day wreaths, summer wreaths, winter wreaths, and holiday wreaths.

It's not a special thing done only at Christmas.


A lot of people only do it at Christmas though. And that is surely the case for these workplaces.


Maybe in DC. In other places I have lived most single family homes have some sort of wreath (non religious) most of the year. There are football wreaths, flip flop wreaths, beach wreaths, fall wreaths, flower wreaths for spring. It's for fun and to add some color. Two of my old friends sell them year round.

In contrast, most of my neighbors here never put out wreaths, even during the holidays. I find it somewhat depressing. I don't associate door decorating and wreaths only with religious holidays.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 20:01     Subject: Re:Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Yes, you are being too sensitive. Just go along and try to have fun. No one likes the stick in the mud, always trying to stand apart.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 20:01     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
We do door decorating instead of wreaths, and most times it's something humorous about our area - like broken computers for IT, expense reports for finance, etc. that's what I would do for your team wreath.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 19:55     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I get why it bothers you and I don't think it's the best choice for a large federal agency.

+1
We have a policy that would not allow this type of activity. It’s insensitive, unless you are going to do a similar activites that are representative of all the faiths of employees, you shouldn’t be doing it.

Wreaths aren’t religious. There are 19 faiths with holidays this time of year. Office decorating is to build moral and have fun, not endorse a religion.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 19:54     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Anonymous wrote:Overreacting and I'm not normally Team Overreacting.

Wreaths aren't just Christmas decorations or even religious items, IMO.

Also, it could be worse, OP. My office holiday party included a team gingerbread house building contest for $500. Teams were picked at random and I got stuck on a team with 4 engineers. "Oh, they're sure to win!" everyone boasted. You'd have thought they were designing a palace for a king with the amount of bickering that went on. Meanwhile, I'm off to the side eating all the decorative toppings and wishing an employee hadn't gotten sh!tfaced 6 years ago and lost all of us our Adult Beverage privileges during the holiday party.

Hilarious!
Ours was door decorating. A few got way into it. (My team won, it was a great door but I had very little to do with it). No prize, just bragging rights lol
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2017 19:41     Subject: Off putting fed holiday celebration or am I being too sensitive?
Anonymous wrote:I get why it bothers you and I don't think it's the best choice for a large federal agency.

+1
We have a policy that would not allow this type of activity. It’s insensitive, unless you are going to do a similar activites that are representative of all the faiths of employees, you shouldn’t be doing it.