Jews and decorations at Chanukah and Christmas time
While reading the New York Times this morning, I came across this piece, called "Jewish in a Winter Wonderland,", about a pair of Jewish newlyweds who decide that, being across the country from family where no one would know, they would put up a Christmas tree just because they wanted to. They're adults, after all, and they can indulge in all the
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In the US, my folks keps putting up a New Year's tree for a while. They'd just put it up and decorate it the day after Christmas. I think they didn't stop until I went away to college. I kind of miss it, and am occasionally tempted to take up the tradition again, but like you, I find there's too much baggage attached once I start thinking about it. Plus, I'd have to keep explaining it to people, and that would get tiresome.
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::chuckle:: Humans do have a way of keeping that which we want to keep, don't we?
I find there's too much baggage attached once I start thinking about it.
Yep. I really wish there weren't.
By the way, I received the discthank you so much! Been listening to it pretty much constantly. Yay!
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The worst comments also display a total lack of understanding of basic English, and I doubt it's because they are non-native. Rather, they are ignorant asshats that can't be bothered to learn how to talk in their own language. Nuff said.
/end catty.
Anyway, I come from a place with no holiday traditions to speak of.. I mean really, none. So I just sorta do whatever works out year by year. I wish I had more of a history to lean back on.
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What?
the character is derived from a third-century saint, Nicolas
Keyword: Derived. Meaning: Not that any more.
Everything grows and evolves, yes (well, not if you're a certain type of Christian, oddly enough)? I don't think Santa = Christ any more, if "Santa" as opposed to S. Nick ever did.
Aren't Santa and Nick two separate entities anyway?
And who, outside of a devout Catholic, even knows what a saint is supposed to be in the mythology?
If anyone sees Santa Claus holding a can of Coke and thinks "Look! A holy dignitary of Christ!" (or whatever it is that saints are) I'll eat my hat and Santa's hat too.
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But "Santa Claus" does come from Sinterklaas, St. Nicholaas, Father Christmas; the association is there for those of us who don't believe in saints and Jesus. It comes out of Christian tradition; nothing at all to do with Judaism. His clothes are red because the figure upon whom he is based was a bishop, not because some Coca Cola artist randomly chose that color. Christianity is written all over the character, at least for Jews, and it's a hard separation for me to make emotionally even if I know it intellectually. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way; millions of others do, too. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade; I'm trying to shed light on a different perspective. And if I didn't have a hard time with it, if I weren't struggling with training and emotion versus intellect, I wouldn't have written this rumination in the first place ( ... )
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Many of my pagan friends have some trouble with this as well -- they want to reclaim the Tree -- but have so much baggage from their childhood, it feels like "letting mom win" to many of them.
It's a fine line -- and one that lies in a slightly different plane for almost everyone.
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