DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Bad Manners and Brimstone
HTML https://badmanners.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Holidays
*****************************************************
#Post#: 21200--------------------------------------------------
But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: Rho Date: December 11, 2018, 10:01 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
This happened a few years ago and I wonder if any response was
wrong or perhaps there was a 4th option.
A few years ago I was a part time employee in an office with 12
employees. Several were outside contractors meaning they
stopped in on the odd day. Everyones' Frenemie Office Manager (
Oh do I have stories why we all disliked her) was tasked with
buying gifts for the end of year bonus. Previous years we had
received tote bags or umbrellas with the company logo
prominently embroidered. She was well aware 25% of the
employees did not observe Christmas yet purchased 12 magnificent
Christmas Pointsettas and placed them on a table for everyone
to pick up one to take home. One woman took her plant happily.
One woman made a face in private and took hers to give to a
neighbor. One woman refused to take hers and there it sat with
the contractors 2 plants until office shut down and re opened
after Jan 2.
What's wrong with this picture?
#Post#: 21201--------------------------------------------------
Re: But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: Bales Date: December 11, 2018, 10:14 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I hadn't realized a poinsettia was considered religious,
honestly. But then again, I'm not into plants or flowers at
all. I thought it was just a festive / seasonal plant, like
mums in the fall. I would have just accepted it and given it to
someone else since it's not my thing.
#Post#: 21204--------------------------------------------------
Re: But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: Jem Date: December 11, 2018, 10:41 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, plants are not religious. Unless someone is looking to be
offended.
#Post#: 21205--------------------------------------------------
Re: But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: Amara Date: December 11, 2018, 11:26 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Did the woman who refused to take her cite her not celebrating
Christmas as a reason? If not, is it possible she either loathes
the plant or has pets, especially cats, at home who would be in
danger from it?
#Post#: 21207--------------------------------------------------
Re: But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: Aleko Date: December 12, 2018, 1:54 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I think whether one celebrates Christmas is entirely irrelevant
here. There's no religion in an ornamental pot-plant, and truth
to tell no innate Christianity in celebrating 25th December at
all (Christ wasn't actually born on that date - or in winter at
all - as the early Church Fathers knew perfectly well: they
fixed on that date three centuries later because people all over
the Roman Empire already celebrated the winter solstice, and a
celebration of Christ's birth could fit neatly over what
everyone was already doing). If these two people were offended
by being given a poinsettia for the midwinter holidays, they
seriously need to get over themselves.
Of course, it's also possible that they just didn't like
poinsettias. But that's the nature of official gifts; there's
nothing you could choose that would be sure to please everyone.
And at least a pot-plant is easily regiftable, unlike a
company-branded item.
#Post#: 21219--------------------------------------------------
Re: But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: Chez Miriam Date: December 12, 2018, 5:55 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Poinsettias are like Christmas cacti: just happen to be
flowering at Christmas [OK, so the poinsettia flower is
insignificant, but the bracts provide stunning colour at this
time of year], and have no link with Christmas as Aleko points
out [other than being in bloom at a convenient time].
Without hearing more about the Office Manager's previous
shenanigans, I would see the one person who refused the plant as
either having a valid reason [pets, allergies, all-white home]
or looking to take offence. I couldn't make more of a decision
without hearing a lot more about either of the parties, after
all one woman took it happily, and another took it with the aim
of regifting.
It's not as though it was something prohibited by another
religion [side of beef, ham, tobacco, alcohol], unless the
refusal woman was a Jehovah's Witness(?), who I understand are
unable to accept gifts [may totally be wrong on that].
#Post#: 21222--------------------------------------------------
Re: But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: camlan Date: December 12, 2018, 7:55 am
---------------------------------------------------------
There is a legend about poinsettias and Christmas:
HTML https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/poinsettia.shtml.
If
someone had heard of this, they might think that poinsettias,
given as a gift at Christmastime, were a religious symbol.
If the woman who left the plant said nothing and just left the
plant on the table, I think she acted in a polite manner. It's a
gift; she doesn't have to take it if she doesn't want it.
And I do suspect that the person who purchased the plants either
knew they were a symbol of Christmastime or got a really good
price on them. Impossible to tell from the information given.
#Post#: 21230--------------------------------------------------
Re: But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: Chez Miriam Date: December 12, 2018, 8:40 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=camlan link=topic=870.msg21222#msg21222
date=1544622948]
There is a legend about poinsettias and Christmas:
HTML https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/poinsettia.shtml.
If
someone had heard of this, they might think that poinsettias,
given as a gift at Christmastime, were a religious symbol.
If the woman who left the plant said nothing and just left the
plant on the table, I think she acted in a polite manner. It's a
gift; she doesn't have to take it if she doesn't want it.
And I do suspect that the person who purchased the plants either
knew they were a symbol of Christmastime or got a really good
price on them. Impossible to tell from the information given.
[/quote]
Thanks for posting that link, Camlan; I had never heard that
story [I don't think any link to Christmas is widely known in
the UK?].
#Post#: 21240--------------------------------------------------
Re: But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: SureJan Date: December 12, 2018, 9:57 am
---------------------------------------------------------
As someone who was raised as a Christian, I find this
fascinating - growing up our church altar was positively covered
in Pointsettias for Christmas and aside from the palms used in
conjunction with Palm Sunday, frankly I can’t think of a plant
that has more direct “Christian connotation” (for me)
However leaving aside the question of “is it a
Christian/Christmas” symbol it seems really poorly planned out
to give live plants as a gift especially one that has such a
reputation for being toxic to pets.
#Post#: 21255--------------------------------------------------
Re: But you know that's not my Holiday.
By: sandisadie Date: December 12, 2018, 11:14 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I don't believe giving a live plant as a Christmas gift is a
good idea for the simple reason that some people don't want to
take care of indoor plants for a variety of reasons. We love
this plant but don't have it at home because of our 4 cats.
Some people have a black thumb and every plant they have always
dies. (My Mother was like that). Some people just don't have a
place in their home to keep a live plant. Finally, I agree with
those who don't see this plant as religious. I don't think the
woman who left the plant should have done so, however. Why
didn't she just give it to another co-worker instead? There are
plenty of reasons she could have used for doing so IMO.
*****************************************************
DIR Next Page