I need a bit of help here. I have been invited to the ceremony and party for a co worker’s daughter. I will not be able to attend and would like to give a gift. What is appropriate for the young lady on her 15th birthday? I know this is important to them and I do like my co-worker. Flowers, money or a box of candy?
Thank you
Since the OP is looking for advice, let’s move this over to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Ask your coworker.
Earrings are always a good choice.
This site suggests that favorite of guys everywhere, the gift card. Pick someplace girlie, not Bass Pro Shops.
Er, speaking as a father and considering your username, dflower, I feel I should remind you that, at 15, she’s still illegal. :eek:
The last few quinceañeras my son has been invited to have “Monetary Gift Requested” included right on the invitation. I’d go with that.
Wow. Money is the usual gift around here for celebrations, but I’ve never seen something as forward as that on an invitation.
An Origami flower made of money in a box of candy.
While for most celebrations, I’d agree with you. . . quinceañeras are a whole different beast. It’s no secret that the family is spending themselves into debt for the party, so people are pretty open about essentially paying for the party for the family.
It’s sort of like what my Vietnamese friend was telling me about her sister’s wedding. It was huge-- cost something like $80,000, but she said in their culture, guests always bring large cash gifts to offset the party cost. They ended up making money on the wedding :eek:.
Yeah, that and the fact that the invitations were printed in English leads me to think that gringos aren’t expected to already know these things and need a little help.
That’s not unusual in the Polish culture either. My mom asked me whether we had “made money” on our wedding. I was like, are you crazy? That said, a lot of friends of mine who grew up in my part of town with the same shared culture did make out ahead at the end of the day.
I hear that some girls like to go bass fishing. Take it easy with the stereotyping…
Not girls in pink formals and tiaras.
Money. Maybe a small token gift to go along with it, and a card.
Don’t even bother with the gift card thing - I guarantee that the 15-year old in question would rather have the cash.
Thanks to all. I am going with an nice card and cash.
And my what a dirty mind you have dropzone! I am a lady! 
I was at a (seemingly) middle-class Russian-Jewish wedding a couple of years ago before the economy tanked and the couple got a new house, several $$ grand and a new car.
Card and cash is perfect.
NO!!! Just say no to gift cards. A gift card is exactly like cash, except it has rules. Screw that.
Meh, I prefer gift cards. It makes sure I actually buy a gift.
The girl is 15. If you give money, it’ll go to her parents, not her. Granted, she gets to enjoy the party, so that’s sort of a gift.
If you want something for her, that will last her longer than that day, ask your coworker what are her interests. You could split and give both cash and something that interests her and she’ll use after that big event.
That’s odd- my 13 year old son and daughter each had a Bar/Bat mitzvah and any cash gifts went to them. They each had enough to buy themselves a Macbook laptop and have some money in the bank leftover. Not sure why that would be any different at 15?