Man receives letter from neighbor: When he opens it, he can't believe his eyes

New York (USA) - A letter left on the doorstep of a family from the US state of New York shortly before Christmas is causing a stir not only among the recipients, but also on Reddit.

"My wife saw one of them knocking on the front door while we were cleaning," Jason told Newsweek this week. He went to the door shortly afterwards and found the letter there.

When the father of two looked inside the envelope, which said "Merry Christmas", he couldn't believe his eyes: it contained 200 US dollars (around 194 euros) in 20-dollar notes.

The American didn't know what to make of it at first. After all, he only knew the young people next door by sight. "We had never spoken to these neighbors before. [...] We were very confused," he said.

The New Yorkers had also noticed that their neighbors had simply left a letter with them and wanted to know what it all meant.

So they put their money where their mouth was and confronted the "backers".

Jason and his wife kindly introduced themselves to the couple and asked what the gift was all about. "When we spoke to them, they said they wanted to do something nice for the holidays," he told the US magazine.

He continued: "The couple is very young, while my wife and I are in our 30s. We have two little boys, so maybe the Christmas spirit was because of our kids? Or it could be religious, as they wished us a blessed holiday. Either way, their intentions were very sincere and kind, and that's really all that matters."

Because he ended up being so excited about the curious story, Jason shared it with two photos on Reddit. His post immediately sparked further discussion. While some were envious of the money, others criticized how strange the situation had been in the end.

But the family man, who has already spent the money on bills, doesn't want any part of that. "The current climate is so divisive. We have to help each other. A kind gesture, no matter how small, goes a long way," he says.