Unlike much of the population, I love Christmas music. At the grocery store, I hear fellow shoppers groan "already?" to the first sounds of holiday tunes. But for me, radio stations can't start playing them early enough. I like the good ones, like Ertha Kitt's "Santa Baby," and Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." But I also like the bad ones, like Mariah Carey's, "All I Want For Christmas is You," and even worse, Wham!'s "Last Christmas." I can't stand Justin Beiber, but I bet I'm going to like his Christmas album.
This holiday season I want to listen to all these tracks and more as I decorate a beautiful Christmas tree in our living room. Except my husband won't let me get a Christmas tree for our living room . He also won't let me put a gorgeous golden cedar wreath on our door, twinkly lights across our porch, or antlers on our dog.
I say he's a grinch. He says we're Jewish.
I'm a big enough person to say he's right when he's right. And, in this regard, my husband is right: We are, in fact, Jewish. Except, he sees this irrefutable fact as pivotal when it comes to Christmas decorations, whereas I see it as incidental. Yes, as Jews, December brings the wonderful holiday of Chanukah when we light candles for eight days, eat chocolate coins, and spin tops called dreidels. I have such fond memories of family Chanukah parties, hosted by my mother and aunt, where my family would eat and laugh, and eat some more. We would indulge in baked brie, my mom's incredible three-layer dip, my aunt's award-winning lasagna, and good wine as we got older. It was all so comfortable, so much fun.
The thing about Chanukah though, as lovely as it is, it could really be celebrated in any season, whereas Christmas feels so inextricably tied to the time of year. Time off school is typically referred to as Christmas break, not Chanukah break. People talk about getting into the Christmas spirit, not the Chanukah spirit. And I think Santa would get hot wearing such a heavy suit in summer.
Growing up Jewish, Christmas takes on this mythical quality. It radiates peace and joy, like a spiritual Disneyland. And what kid doesn't love Disneyland? Even now, walking along the streets of my neighbourhood at night, I am enchanted by the glowing Christmas trees filling the windows. I figure that a family with a Christmas tree must be a happy family. I take a moment to peak inside from the sidewalk and I picture that happy family. I picture my family as it used to be, before my parents divorced and my mother died, and I wonder, if we had spent one day -- the same day every year -- dancing around the living room in our pajamas and sitting by a fir tree strung with lights, maybe my parents wouldn't have separated. I wonder if Christmas would have kept my family together longer.
I think it's worth a try. Life's hard and I am beginning to learn that it's important to cultivate joy as much as you can. When it's sitting in front of you, right there for the taking, it's important to grab onto it with both hands. To me, Judaism is a state of mind, unaffected by ornaments and reindeer. I want these things in my home as symbols of the winter season, as a way to ignite excitement and cheer. I think I can divorce any religious significance from a tree and a wreath and stuffed antlers, the same way I don't really think about the violent Maccabean Revolt that led to the recpature of the Second Temple and the holiday of Chanukah. When I light the Chanukah candles, I don't think about the fact that oil meant to last only one day held on for eight. I think about family and all the other people I care for. Singing the blessings, I wish so much love and happiness for them.
And how could a stocking with my name on it, hanging from under the mantle holding our menorah, not make me happy? I don't care if it's filled with nothing but chocolate coins and Justin Bieber's "Under the Mistletoe." I just want to celebrate togetherness.
David Wild: "Hanukkah Rocks": My Only Slightly Guilty Playlist for This Year's Festival of Lights
I'm also all for anything that promotes inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness. After all, Jesus was a Jew who excluded no one and was kind to all. Don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't enjoy the season as you wish. In our home we have both a menorah and an Xmas tree and enjoy both holidays with our families. And that's just how we like it.
10 Hear the word that Jehovah has spoken against YOU people, O house of Israel. 2 This is what Jehovah has said: “Do not learn the way of the nations at all, and do not be struck with terror even at the signs of the heavens, because the nations are struck with terror at them. 3 For the customs of the peoples are just an exhalation, because it is a mere tree out of the forest that one has cut down, the work of the hands of the craftsman with the billhook. 4 With silver and with gold one makes it pretty. With nails and with hammers they fasten them down, that none may reel. 5 They are like a scarecrow of a cucumber field, and cannot speak. Without fail they are carried, for they cannot take any steps. Do not be afraid because of them, for they can do nothing calamitous and, what is more, the doing of any good is not with them.”
Have a blessed Christmas.
Jesus was born Sept/Oct
The New Catholic Encyclopedia acknowledges: “The date of Christ’s birth is not known. The Gospels indicate neither the day nor the month . . . According to the hypothesis suggested by H. Usener . . . and accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice (December 25 in the Julian calendar, January 6 in the Egyptian), because on this day, as the sun began its return to northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated the dies natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of the invincible sun). On Dec. 25, 274, Aurelian had proclaimed the sun-god principal patron of the empire and dedicated a temple to him in the Campus Martius. Christmas originated at a time when the cult of the sun was particularly strong at Rome.”—(1967), Vol. III, p. 656.
My advice to non-Christians is to celebrate the season however you want, you don't have to call it a Christmas Tree, it can be a Solstice Tree or even a Chanukah Tree. Santa? Well I like to think it was St. Nick who came up with the idea that Christians didn't have to be left out while Pagans were celebrating the season, and so invented celebrating Christmas at the same time and gave Christians the freedom to enjoy the season the same way the Pagans did. That makes Santa the symbol of EVERYBODY celebrating the Winter Festival no matter what their faith.
Tis the Season to be Jolly, and that's true for people of all or no faith.
Merry Saturnalia!
Christians, take note.
PS. I love Chanukah geld in Christmas stockings. A little crossover can't hurt. IMHO, of course.
Out of context, that is really funny.
http://boomersrememberwhen.com/2011/12/12/baby-boomer-christmas-music-medleys/