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Do you give the goyim in your life a Xmas present at their holiday time?
Is this a gesture of good will and being generous or is this just falling into the ways of the goyim?
I would like to honor a goy who does us good, by giving him and his family a gift for his holiday. (our landlord)
On one hand I understand its just being nice, but maybe the way he will see it is that “oh in fact the jews do celebrate xmas…see I got a gift”.?
What do you think?
frumladygit
First of all its better to call them “non-Jews” than to use the word you used.
Secondly, theres no problem sending them a gift, just include a handwritten card with a thank you….and sign off enjoy your holiday…
We don’t buy gifts, but we do tip the super and other maintenance people in the building. I think it’s called a ‘holiday bonus’. Anyway, a little extra something is customary at this time of year to the service people in your life. If you give, they won’t infer that you celebrate xmas, they know full well that you don’t; if you give nothing, they may very well think “see, those Jews are greedy and stingy”. If you give it this week with Chanukah coming up, they will probably view it as you giving them a little something in honor of your holiday, so that may be the way to go about it (that’s what we do with the super).
Firstly, it’s perfectly okay to call the goyim, goyim.
Secondly, I would definitely avoid giving anyone a holiday present on a goyishe holiday, especially an overtly religious one like this one.
same, i agree its best to write a nice card and a small but meaningful gift (depends to who) and wish them enjoyment of their holiday, therefore making a friendly connection with the card, but showing that it is their holiday and you don’t believe or celebrate it
i wonder what the halachic point of view is?
I remember hearing somewhere that you should not give a non-Jew a gift on his holiday, and instead to give it on ours (as dvorak suggested). That way you’re safe.
Isn’t there an issue of lo sechanaim the whole year?
We usually gift them on OUR holiday or on New Years. So it is perfectly acceptable to Tip them or Gift them on Chanuka which falls around the same holiday time as their holiday.
there is never a bad time for a show of gratitude.
TheChevra,
“Lo Seichanem” refers to gifts or flattery bestowed for no reason (from the shoresh chinam). See Rashi on Parshas V’Eschanan where this mitzvah is mentioned for more info.
Most holiday tips would not seem to fall into this category.
Anon for this:
Why do you think it would seem not fall into this category?
Helpful,
Because it seems that the posters here are giving gifts to service people with whom they interact on a regular basis, in order to encourage favorable treatment and/ or because it’s generally expected. Therefore it wouldn’t fall into the category of “lo seichanaim”, since it’s given for a reason.
We give cash gifts to the mailman and paper delivery man. We give a gift card to our babysitter. I buy my secretary (without whom I literally cannot work) a gift.
Agreed. My housekeeper surely anticipates a bonus. And good idea about emphasizing “your” holiday – that works just as well in the work environment in wishing coworkers a pleasent holiday season, ie, tell them “enjoy your holiday”.
Woman outside Bklyn — You completely missed the boat. You should most certainly NOT be telling them to enjoy your (i.e. their foreign religious) holiday.
I tip the bus drivers, post man, etc. but I give it to them around New Years to avoid that issue of giving a holiday gift
myfriend: Why wouldn’t you tell someone to enjoy their holiday. People whom I come in contact with who know that I am Jewish always wish me a good holiday. I always tell people to enjoy their holiday and wish them and their family good health and happiness for the coming year. In addition, I give something to my hairdresser and the lady who does my nails. My neighbors have been extremely kind to me since I moved into this building. I have had surgery several times and they check up on me and have done some grocery shopping for me. I often give them a little something at this time of the year. Usually it is just some baking and I try to give it to them closer to their holiday when they have more company and could use it. There is certainly nothing wrong with showing appreciation to people at ANY time of the year. It just seems that it has become a North American tradition to do it in December. It also seems that no matter how many times you explain to non-Jews, they believe that Chanukah is the Jewish Xmas because of the time of year and the gifts. It is also now not unusual to see Chanukah decorations and supplies in the stores right alongside the Xmas things. Therefore, if they expect something from you, it would naturally be expected now.
Anyway, good wishes to another, even if not sincere, are just plain good manners.
minyan —
If you had any inklink how much Jewish blood was spilled on Xmas, you would throw up anytime you saw a Xmas tree lit up and would never tell anyone to enjoy such a bloody holiday.
And all that is even forgetting about the halachic problems of wishing them a good holiday.
myfriend: Why wouldn’t you tell someone to enjoy their holiday?
well minyangal perhaps it is an issur, prohibited by the Torah, which you are commanded by the Creator to follow, sometimes to die for. this is called Halachah.
perhaps it isnt an issur, perhaps it is in some circumstances. it certainly behooves a Jew to investigate these things and not just decide based on what feels good to ones wholly american mind.
…or Canadian mind. 😉
Try talking about the holiday season (which is not denominational, and includes festivus), vs. “the Holiday”, which is celebration of Avoda Zara that murdered Yiddin just for being Jews for over 1000 years.
i am lucky enough to live in Israel, so i dont suffer from this serious problem.
but as i recall from my parents’ home, they would give a gift for the new year and wish them a happy new year, it is close enough and then you dont have the x-messy problem.
tipping isnt lo sechaneim. if there’s an advantage to you (i.e. receiving better service) then it isnt “chinom” or for nothing.
Also mentchlechkeit isnt to be confused with lo sechaneim. (generally speaking not refering to tipping)
Am I the only one who got the “festivus” reference?
GAW, good idea. Let’s just wish everyone happy festivus. I love it!
Obviously, Minyan Gal and I are of the same mindset. Yes, I surely am well aware of how much of our blood has been spilled as a result of that day. But on a purely practical level, if you work among non-Jews, and they wish you a Happy Chanukah (and most do), then it would be quite rude not to respond in kind. If I’m stating “your holiday” I’m making a statement that it is in no way MY holiday, but they walk off happier, and the work environment is not strained.
Buy the landlord a gift before Rosh Hashana and enclose a card wishing him/her well in the coming year.
Happy New Secular Tax Year.
My wife did some baking, wrapped it nicely, and that’s what I gave to my boss. Knowing the quality of the baked goods, he was quite appreciative! I think we also gave something to our mail carrier as well; we became friendly with her because she always brought dog biscuits for our dog (and believe me, the dog loved her!).
Whether you give a non Jew a present for” his holiday”- or for the” end of the year”- do what you wish.
But to me it is a chilul hashem not to give them a gift.
When my kids went to Yeshiva- we had a non Jewish bus driver. He knew that all of us parents were paying a lot of money to send our kids to “private school” instead of public school. I always gave a gift ( money). Even when the driver was hired by the township…Otherwise he would have thought” those cheap Jews…”
Many non Jews have limited experience with Jews and to me, to tip, to give a nice holiday, Dec, “whatever” gift, is actually a kidush hashem,because it generates good feelings in this world, without doing something that is against our value system.
I knew someone who did not want to give a Xmas gift- so they gave it for Thanksgiving instead.
Call it what you may- but give a gift!!!
Do NOT give a gift. It is a chillul Hashem to give one in violation of halacha.
Helpful
Giving a non Jew a gift is NOT in violation of Halacha!
READ THIS!!!!!
http://www.kof-k.org/articles/040108110431W-28%20Lo%20Sichaneim.pdf
I didn’t say it always is.
But it often is.
Thank you to poster ” WIY”.
To poster “Helpful”- so when DO YOU give non jews gifts?
Helpful
Actually, it usually is mutar and rarely is assur. Please read the PDF and then speak….
mom23
You are welcome!
Never.
Unless I will get some benefit from doing so.
“Helpful”,that’s what I thought. Enough said!
It is ONLY muttar IF you will get a benefit from it. In all other cases it is assur.
Many people are so concerned about what it will look like if they give a holiday, end of Dec etc gift- will the non Jews think we are celebrating their holiday? Well what is it going to look like when Jews get all dressed up to go to shul on Shabbos Dec 24/ 25???
Will people think we are dressing up to celebrate this other holiday???
its mutar to give non jews a present for their holidays but you have to make sure if u buy non kosher chocolates for example tht it is not chalav and basar cuz many emulsifiers can contain animal fats and its asur to derive benefit from chalav and busar which is the main point of giving them a gift.
If I give someone a gratuity (e.g. the FedEx driver who comes to my office), I will usually say something like, “Happy Holidays” or “Happy New Year.”
I had a dilemma. I got email from Costco and saw all the really well priced holiday packages and I wanted to gift the front desk in my Miami condo. Buying treif goods was so inexpensive but I just couldn’t bring myself to purchasing treifus. I really had a fight with my yetzer hara. I finally decided to spend more and give a frum store the business. I went it to a local chocolate store on Collins Avenue and spent more money but I feel much better about it. I made sure to deliver it on MY HOLIDAY and wrote out the card to read Happy Chanuka!!!! Even though they are all goyim.
bravo!
you might want to post that over here as well:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/heter-in-my-back-pocket
Question, on the “holiday” week the person who delivers Mishpacha left an envelope with the magazines, obviously expecting a tip. How much did you give him/her?
I don’t like the title of this thread.
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