Should we give our neighbour a present?

This year my lovely neighbour and I have agreed not to buy for each other and just send cards it was becoming too much looking for something suitable & reasonably priced.

We used to take parcels in for our neighbours as they both work and we are retired. They started to give us a box of biscuits at Christmas which was a nice gesture. However their daughter returned to live at home during the first lockdown and is still there working from home so we don’t have to take parcels for them any more. Last year they still bought us the biscuits and I am hoping they don’t again as it made me feel uncomfortable and think we should buy them something in return.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Do you apply this maxim to yourselves or to your neighbours? Having received, I'd give.

I've got a new neighbour with whom I've become good friends.
Do I buy a gift or not? I think I'll wrap up some wine or chocolates, just in case they give me something. If not, I can drink or eat it afterwards. Good idea?

Definitely a kindness works both ways it’s Christmas!

My neighbour is lovely.
Takes the odd parcel in for me and if I'm away will always keep an eye on things.
When I was ill, she also knocked to check I was okay and asked if I needed anything.

I always give her a card and small gift i.e biscuits / chocolate. It's very little cost to me and I appreciate her.

Maybe they left the gifts just to say thank you for being good neighbours after the last couple of years ?
I popped Christmas cards through the doors of everyone in my street last year (only usually do immediate neighbours) just so that they wouldn't feel so isolated during the lockdowns.
As far as your neighbours are concerned, unless you feel happy in reciprocating (how about some home made mince pies or sausage rolls for instance?) just say thank you in your card to them.

My next door neighbour frequently pops to our door with food, small treats or fruit. Then last Christmas she arrived with a Christmas basket.

I send her flowers as a thank you, once a year at Christmas time and she arrives at our door in tears, to thank me. She is a kind soul.

I would certainly reciprocate. ?

I have wonderfully kind neighbours who are difficult to buy presents for because they have any number of food allergies, so I give presents to their two little daughters, both born since they became my neighbours, so they call me 'auntie'.

A simple homemade jar of jam or marmalade or a small cake or posy of leaves and winter flowers would be fine as a reciprocal gift, with card saying how lucky / thanking for lovely neighbours in these covid times

our new next door neighbours gave us a present last year, so this year I am leaving them a small gift. Our our neighbours next door but one who are from Hong Kong I will be giving them a present tonight, they have already given us one to thank us for helping them.

For goodness sake if we can’t give our neighbours a little gift at Christmas what have we become. I can’t believe what I’m reading here. We are neighbours, we all breath the same air. I’m thinking some don’t even bother to get to know their neighbours. Makes me feel sad. I know some neighbours are horrid but we’re not. Let’s be kind to each other. Share the love and those horrid neighbours may even be ok in time.

How nice of them!
I think a nice little gift from you would be just as lovely for them, to let them know they are appreciated, too!

I would give her a bunch of flowers on NYD.

Start as you mean to go on and unless you intend reciprocating ie giving your neighbours a gift and making this a regular new year occurrence, then 'a thank you' wishing you a happy and peaceful new year card, is enough.

Because I love baking and live alone I don't do it very often. Christmas gives me an excuse to bake to my heart's content. I bake and it goes to my immediate neighbours and two local friends. I don't need or expect presents from them but this year 2 of my neighbours have given me flowers. I accepted them gracefully and thanked them. I really don't want them to give me things . I tried to let them know that I get so much pleasure from baking I don't expect anything in return.

I always wrap a box of biscuits & keep under my tree just incase someone does just this .

I have given a bottle of whisky for the first time and definitely do not want them to reciprocate as they put our bins out

This has happened to us this year, we have two neighbours where the men in the houses remain after seperating each one came seperately last evenin with a little present.We were very grateful if not surprised but I dont think we will reciprocate as it doesnt need to become a habit.When a new partner arrives they might not want this to become a habit.

We get on with our 4 sets neighbours on both sides and having an allotment are able to share our produce with them all year. Also we love making chutneys and pickles so it is our pleasure to share these.
We don’t expect anything back, today we received a lovely note thanking us for the wonderful produce and fresh veg and fruit. That was all the thanks we needed.

I would bake something like gingerbread reindeer or Christmas cup cakes and ring the bell to deliver.
A homemade gift is different from a shop bought item. It says: "Merry Christmas - I overbaked" or "Merry Christmas - don't expect this every year".

As others have said - something homemade would be lovely. It says “thank you, and I’m thinking of you” but isn’t so obviously a present.

Have you helped them out during the past year that has perhaps prompted the gift giving? If so probably a Thank You for doing so. Otherwise I'd just offer a hearty thank you when you see them next commenting it was a surprise but greatly appreciated.

I'd reciprocate with exactly the same combo! Otherwise this will escalate as Brits cannot resist getting one over one another!!?? Or just say a lovely 'thanks' and leave it. We've started to give a tenner to our new baby next door, only cos we've been rewarded for taking in parcels for last 4+ years at Christmas time by them but it's ALWAYS gonna be a tenner, then when they move which they will, I will stop!

Kim19

I would give her a bunch of flowers on NYD.

Great solution!