On holiday sensitivity...

Honestly, I'm just trying to get it right.

I have roughly 19 people at work for whom I felt compelled to buy SOMETHING for the holidays. Basically, I won't be eating this month to ensure that no one feels like Charlie Brown back at the office. It's incredibly expensive. It's also forced me to make a spreadsheet for my holiday gift giving. Good grief, indeed.

Of course, further complicating things is the fact that Hanukkah is so flippin early this year. I want to be sensitive and aware of the different religious identities of my staff, but I take issue with the following:

1) I'm still imposing my "Christmas mentality" on my Jewish staff. That's bad enough. But, for the one gift they are receiving, do I give it on the first day of Hanukkah or the last?
2) So no one thinks I'm playing favorites, I've essentially bought everyone some version of the same gift. Call me what you want, but I resent losing the surprise factor for everyone else by giving some presents earlier. GRRR.
3) I went so far as to ask my staff (all of them, for equality's sake) if they were "Christmas people" or "Hanukkah people," to make sure I got the timing and gift bags (no Christmas theming for Jewish staff!) just right. The responses are the following:

"Well, I'm Jewish, but I'm not Jewish Jewish. Just give me my gift with the masses."
"I'm Jewish, but I have a Christmas Tree at home and I love Christmas."
"We celebrate both, but I'm a Hanukkah girl."

I can't get my head around treating different Jewish people on staff differently.

I really just want to give everyone their gifts on the same day. I'm essentially equipped that I could give everyone their gift the last day of Hanukkah. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. Of course, with three office related holiday parties planned, all of them fall after that day, denying me any opportunity for natural timing.

My ultimate fear is that, if I give the gifts too early, people then feel compelled to buy me something, and I pray that does not happen. Still, if roles were reversed I would feel like I HAD to run out and get something, anything, in exchange.

Where is Linus and his lesson on the true meaning of Christmas when I need him?