# My boss is Hindu - should I send him a card? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 19, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920 "2008-12-19T16:33:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/21 "2008-12-20T03:22:28Z")
I think this is better suited for IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/22 "2008-12-20T03:23:59Z")
Since this OP calls more for opinions than factual answers to a General Questions, let’s move it. **samclem** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/23 "2008-12-20T03:29:15Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > I mean, I know they’re trying to be considerate, but it feels like they’re a bunch of schoolkids dancing around me going “you’re an oddball! you’re an oddball.” So you’re saying my old method of “Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Chris - oh fuck, it’s _the Jew_” with that last part in the faux whisper was probably not the best? Seriously - when I was part of the working world we traded gifts and all kinds of cards and candies and stuff without a second thought as to the religion of who was receiving them. You know, unless it was to specifically point it out and make them uncomfortable, as above. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/24 "2008-12-20T03:41:45Z")
The only people I know that are offended by Christmas cards are Jehovah Witnesses. They don’t want birthday cards either. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/25 "2008-12-20T04:05:38Z")
Well, you wouldn’t want to give everyone else cards, and leave someone out, would you? Look at it that way. I think if anything, he’d feel excluded. I’m NOT saying you would do that deliberately, but honestly, a “Happy Holidays!” card or whatever is simply a nice, friendly gesture. It’s not, “Celebrate my holiday or you’re condemned to hell!” More like, “I’m thinking of you, and hope everything is going great for you right now.” ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/26 "2008-12-20T07:50:11Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > Happy Hindu Day is celebrated by Happy Hindus worldwide to mark the beginning of the winter season. However, you may want to make sure your boss is from that particular denomination; some Hindus are of the alternative Unhappy orientation, and may not appreciate a card celebrating festivities they do not take part in. LOL Actually, a good time to send a Happy Hindu card is during Deepavali ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/27 "2008-12-20T08:06:09Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > I’m giving holiday cards (that just say "Season’s Greetings) to my co-workers. My supervisor is Hindu; they don’t really have any December holidays of note. Should I give him one of these cards? Should I find something even more neutral? Hindus IME are very tolerant of all religions because of the idea that we are all faces of Krsna anyhow. I think he’d feel left out if you didn’t give him one, or maybe he’d just not care, but I think it would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/28 "2008-12-20T08:11:01Z")
Tell him you made a prayer to Ganesh because you weren’t sure if you should give him a holiday card because he’s Hindu and you knew that Ganesh is the God of difficult problems. Tell him that Ganesh told you it was alright, and gave you his blessing, so you offer this card with Ganesh’s favor. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/29 "2008-12-20T08:14:03Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Tell him you made a prayer to Ganesh because you weren’t sure if you should give him a holiday card because he’s Hindu and you knew that Ganesh is the God of difficult problems. Tell him that Ganesh told you it was alright, and gave you his blessing, so you offer this card with Ganesh’s favor. I think he would probably just find that odd and not know what to say. Just go ahead and send him the Christmas card; he won’t be offended. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/30 "2008-12-20T10:52:54Z")
> [@BrightNShiny](#): > > I’m a Hindu, and I’m not offend by cards. I am offended by the Christmas newsletter, though. > > I kid, I kid. Most of us are offended by Christmas newsletters! ---
**Author:** ![shallora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@shallora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shallora)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/31 "2008-12-20T13:51:32Z")
> [@Dervorin](#): > > I think you’re over-thinking - just do it! “Season’s Greetings” is about as neutral as you’re going to get, and won’t offend anyone. Oh my Liberal guilt-o-meter detector just went to 11, Dervorin. Tell me: What WOULD offend someone? Are you suggesting that saying “Merry Christmas” to someone would be offensive? To whom? To someone whom isn’t Christian? Nonsense. My Jewish friends say to me “Happy Hanukkah” and I’m happy (not offended). I have Italian friends who in March wish me “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” and they’re not even Irish (they’re just saying it to me because I am) and I’m happy, not offended. I celebrate Oktoberfest celebrations with my German friends and they are happy I am participating, not offended because I’m not German. YES if your boss is Hindu, send him a Christmas Card! I guarantee you 100% he won’t be offended. ---
**Author:** ![shallora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@shallora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shallora)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/32 "2008-12-20T13:58:41Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Tell him you made a prayer to Ganesh because you weren’t sure if you should give him a holiday card because he’s Hindu and you knew that Ganesh is the God of difficult problems. Tell him that Ganesh told you it was alright, and gave you his blessing, so you offer this card with Ganesh’s favor. But what if it was sacreligious in that religion to suggest that Ganesh “spoke” to someone? Or that Ganesh “offered” a blessing? What if it was okay, but only if the person suggesting this is Hindu, too (it’s sacreligious for a non-Hindu person to say such things). You see, by “attempting” to “not offend” someone by meddling around with a religion you obviously are not part of instead of simply offering a simple wish from your own, you risk not only offending the other person even greater than you had imagined, you also run the risk of seeming blissfully ignorant, too. Simply wish someone else Merry Christmas – because YOU are Christian and you want to share that with someone else. Honestly, who would ever be offended because you want to share your joy with someone else? Again, my Jewish friends wish me “Happy Hanukkah” and I am 110% okay with that. And when I wish them “Merry Christmas” back, they are 110% okay with that, too. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/33 "2008-12-20T14:05:51Z")
> [@ShelliBean](#): > > So you’re saying my old method of “Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Chris - oh fuck, it’s _the Jew_” with that last part in the faux whisper was probably not the best? I would have _loved_ that. But maybe that’s just me. Merry Christmas, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/34 "2008-12-20T19:02:53Z")
> [@shallora](#): > > Oh my Liberal guilt-o-meter detector just went to 11, Dervorin. > > Tell me: What WOULD offend someone? > > Are you suggesting that saying “Merry Christmas” to someone would be offensive? To whom? To someone whom isn’t Christian? Nonsense. My Jewish friends say to me “Happy Hanukkah” and I’m happy (not offended). I have Italian friends who in March wish me “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” and they’re not even Irish (they’re just saying it to me because I am) and I’m happy, not offended. I celebrate Oktoberfest celebrations with my German friends and they are happy I am participating, not offended because I’m not German. > > YES if your boss is Hindu, send him a Christmas Card! I guarantee you 100% he won’t be offended. Er… I wasn’t suggesting that “Merry Christmas” would be offensive to anyone, either. I was merely responding to the question in the OP: > [@](#): > > Should I find something even more neutral? I think your detector might be a tad over-sensitive. 🙂 Oh, and I’m not even a Liberal with a capital L, though I am liberal in many respects. I’m perfectly happy wishing people a Merry Christmas, though I’m atheist from a Hindu family. Merry Christmas, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/35 "2008-12-20T22:53:16Z")
I don’t know about your boss, but if Hindus sent cards for their holidays, it sure wouldn’t offend me as a Christian to get one. I like holiday expressions, no matter where they come from. When I worked in Michigan, as the baker in a deli, that bonus I got for Hanukkah sure wasn’t offensive at all!!! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tofu\_Kitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_Tofu\_Kitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tofu_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/36 "2008-12-21T04:46:13Z")
My former bosses were Hindu men, and they loved getting holiday cards from their colleagues and sent out well-wishes for the holiday season to all of their subscribers and team members. ---
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/37 "2008-12-21T13:39:23Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > The only people I know that are offended by Christmas cards are Jehovah Witnesses. > > They don’t want birthday cards either. I wouldn’t use such a broad brush if I were you. One of my sons is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses (please note the correct spelling - they do tend to become annoyed when they’re mispronounced), as are dozens of people I know, and they aren’t offended by any gesture of kindness, but I wouldn’t expect a card or gift on either occasion in return. 😉 OTOH, there are extremists in every faith. One JW I know now shuns me because I once said ‘God bless’ to her at the end of a phone conversation. Sigh… personally, I’d have thought that was generic. Oh well… - Jesse. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/38 "2008-12-21T17:20:22Z")
> [@Jesse\_Leigh](#): > > One JW I know now shuns me because I once said ‘God bless’ to her at the end of a phone conversation. Sigh… personally, I’d have thought that was generic. Oh well… - Jesse. I’m not a JW and I wouldn’t be that keen on being blessed at the end of a phone conversation either. But that’s not a problem as I don’t know anyone who does it. **Jesse** - what on earth makes you think it’s generic? Why would anyone but a Christian say “god bless you?”. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/39 "2008-12-21T18:29:10Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > I’m not a JW and I wouldn’t be that keen on being blessed at the end of a phone conversation either. But that’s not a problem as I don’t know anyone who does it. > > **Jesse** - what on earth makes you think it’s generic? Why would anyone but a Christian say “god bless you?”. 😕 Because it’s a social convention, a dab of grease on the wheels of social interaction. I say “bless you” when people sneeze - not because I’m literally blessing them, but because it’s the accepted thing to do. I don’t see it as a problem unless people make it into one. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920/40 "2008-12-21T19:39:08Z")
Send him the card, but include a printed copy of [this](http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0070/0070_01.asp). That’ll offend him! Or at least entertain him for a few minutes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-hindu-should-i-send-him-a-card/477920.md?page=3)