This Story is Archived
Jewish in a Winter Wonderland »
Posted by: deathray 1 year, 11 months agoI thought this was amusing, and poignant. A story about a Jewish couple who decide to celebrate Christmas in a secular fashion, and why.
Read Full Story at nytimes.com »
Submitted By:
deathray
Hm...summarizing a life...Investment banker, sailor, unintentional gourmet cook. Ex US Naval officer, also Foreign Service. Split my time between NYC and Miami Beach ...
This Story is Archived and Commenting is Closed
Comments: 93
-
JustCallMeV
Dec. 26, 2006, 11:37 a.m.Very ligh-hearted and entertaining story. Freedom...is never having to say your sorry! All cultures have something good to contribute to the world.
-
-
geographer47
Dec. 26, 2006, 12:35 p.m.LYAO? It left me with a wistful feeling. My father, a Lutheran pastor/theologian was tolerant enough to give me away and personally marry me to the Roman Catholic of my choice, but we had no alcohol at the wedding reception because Pop felt it would offend members of his nearby congregation where I grew up. Jesus would have made wine; Luther would have brought beer; but I had to wait til later for some champaign. Go figure.
-
deathray
Dec. 26, 2006, 2:44 p.m.My Dad had the same set of glasses in his bar set, and now I have them.
-
amazed
Dec. 26, 2006, 11:47 a.m.Death--
I loved the story. My sister married a Jewish guy and converted. After a while, she missed the Christmas trappings and he "fell in" and they would do their Hannukkah (sp????) thing and the Christmas thing and Passover, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana -- Easter -- not so much (but the Easter Bunny came to my mother's house for the kids).
It worked for them -- and for me. I attended their Passover seders most years and, occasionally, a Friday night, and learned some of the Jewish culture.
I thought their kids were especially lucky -- eight days of Hanukkah presents AND Christmas, too. After all this, his kids grew up to be observant Jews and her kids are Christians -- making all the grandparents happy!
-
deathray
Dec. 26, 2006, 11:58 a.m.Hey amazed -
Thanks for sharing your story.
My own family is much the same, except that I am an only child. It probably explains my own religious schizophrenia.
My mother converted when she married my father, orthodox style, so I was raised Jewish, but all my Cuban and Spanish cousins are Catholics. I even have a cousin who is a cardinal priest.
Anyway, I used to escape yeshiva (Jewish religious school) to celebrate Christmas with my family whenever possible.
I've had a Christmas tree for years, and unabashedly so. It sits next to my menorah. I do it to remember my family, and to enjoy the spirit of the season, even if it is only really commercial in nature for me.
-
-
Spadecaller
Dec. 26, 2006, 11:54 a.m."Then again, my dad was a man who, in his wood-paneled wet bar, had highball glasses featuring busty women whose clothes disappeared when the glass was full. So I learned early on that taste was subjective." LOL
That takes the pressure off!
Good story, Deathray. My wife, who took it upon herself to convert to Judaism, always feels nastalgic around Christmas time ... so we just added it to our list of holidays.
After we get the tree, she always says I feel a little guilty. I reply with my favorite line: "Get off the cross, we need the wood."
-
tehranchik
Dec. 26, 2006, 12:06 p.m."He's become a Christmas crackhead!" OMG! I can't stop laughing. My friends, Mary and Don, are Catholic and Jewish. She has blended the two celebrations so well. She puts a star of David atop the Christmas tree and adorns all things Jewish with evergreens and bows. It's quite beautiful. They are raising the children to know both religions.
-
K10House
Dec. 27, 2006, 11:30 a.m.The star of David on the tree - that's awesome! Since the tree is a pagan symbol anyway, who cares?! Last year, to honor the Katrina victims and my first love New Orleans, we had a Mardi Gras tree with beads all over it and a great 'pornament' on top that had (clothed) large breasted women of all races and red, yellow and green feathers. It honored life, Spirit and the future, and it was one of my favorite trees ever!
-
-
geographer47
Dec. 26, 2006, 12:23 p.m.While CNN hawks their series next year about racism, it's great to hear about all the individual stories that disprove them. Until more families blend, religious intolerance often has a foundation of racism.
-
Beau7890
Dec. 26, 2006, 12:29 p.m.No doubt about it--the decorations and trappings of Christmas are appealing to many non-Christians as well, and when I see most around me "light up" with Christmas-season spirit and excitement, it always creates a bit of a light-hearted break to the cold weather and gloominess of Chicago winters. My family is also Jewish, but we too always had a tree when I was growing up, and we looked forward to exchanging presents on Christmas morning.
I think when looked at in a cultural, rather than religious, light, there are many traditions other than my own that can be enjoyed, and I believe that celebrating the good in all cultures is the first step toward understanding and celebrating the differences between, and creating tolerance of, all of us in our many-faceted world.
-
ckperrucho
Dec. 26, 2006, 1:08 p.m.Who cares about somes JEWS celebrating X'mas? If a JEW "fart" comes on the news. Why JEWS has so much power? They a bloody racists, no all of course!They lash at anyone saying anything bad about this little tiny country ISRAEL, why they don't ALL move there? They are causing a lot pain on the region, maybe they want to take ALL LAND that they left over 2 thousand years ago!
Stop w/ wasting "REAL" news, always ISRAEL and Jews, sick and tired! I guess a lot people too, but can't say, because JEW sue anyone because wants money.
CKErruc
-
-
spkguy
Dec. 26, 2006, 1:35 p.m.ckperrucho,
You really have to get out more,it is not good for your soul, to live life with so much hate in your heart, do yourself a favor and Let it go!
For what its worth, Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
-
-
-
-
ckperrucho
Dec. 26, 2006, 1:13 p.m.One question: Do the JEWS OWN THE NAME HOLOCAUST? What happned to CAMBODIA, RWANDA, CONGO, all "genocides"? WHY! Are Jews worth more than those people? Let's make the wrong right, we should call HOLOCAUST for all those millions killed because of race, religion, etc... Any museum to honor the HOLOCAUST about these "other" people? We have HOLOCAUST MUSEUM around the world paid by nationals of the respective countries, none for other suffering people, only JEWS genocide!
They have no right to own this name just for themselves!
CKErruc
-
-
-
Beau7890
Dec. 26, 2006, 2:16 p.m.Actually, if you were to visit a holocaust museum, you'd see that they pay respect to all 13 million killed in the death camps, including Catholics and homosexuals, not just the 6 million Jews. I'm guessing knowing that would do nothing to placate you.
-
geographer47
Dec. 26, 2006, 3:51 p.m.The word holocaust is not uniquely applied to the genocide of Jews. The Holocaust (with a capital H) identifies the Nazis' systematic killings of millions during WWII. In addition to 6 million Jewish men, women, and children, the Nazis killed millions of other people including handicapped and mentally retarded individuals, Gypsies, Slavs, Soviet prisoners of war, Communists, clergy, homosexuals and other undesirables. Such an enormous hate crime deserves a special name so that it will not be forgotten.
Museums are not built while wars still rage, but there are monuments to the victims in Cambodia. Many of the memorials to The Great Patriotic War in Russia do not mention Jewish victims separately. The Soviets continued to persecute Jews even after the war.
Even in the U.S. there are finally memorials to Native Americans at Wounded Knee and the Little Big Horn. Ratchet back on the hatred, it's was causes genocide.
-
-
amazed
Dec. 26, 2006, 2:55 p.m.squirrels in the house are another one that I can't take. Had it happen twice and they cost me nearly 10K. I must confess (beating breast) that when the guy asked me if I wanted to relocate it -- I said absolutely not. That squirrel was almost as bad as Nathan Lane's mouse!
-
jordan11
Dec. 26, 2006, 6:35 p.m.squirrels in the house are another one that I can't take. Had it happen twice and they cost me nearly 10K. I must confess (beating breast) that when the guy asked me if I wanted to relocate it -- I said absolutely not. That squirrel was almost as bad as Nathan Lane's mouse!>>>>
I never had a 'squirrel' in the house, but did have a raccoon pay a 'visit'. My husband chased it with a broom, the dog jumped up and down in place, and the cat just sat and watched in disbelief.
-
-
ETproductions
Dec. 26, 2006, 1:33 p.m.Thanks for a touching look into the lives of others. I'm saddened to see that it provokes such venom from the fringe. Reminds me of the conservative movement to discredit Happy Feet as subversive leftist propaganda. Some people...
-
Spadecaller
Dec. 26, 2006, 1:57 p.m.That it provokes so much venom does tell us a lot, though it is a sad fact of reality, as you mentioned.
-
-
-
-
-
ckperrucho
Dec. 26, 2006, 7:18 p.m.Classic??????? Classic is GONE WITH THE WIND, dont make me laugh! hahahhaha
-
mozzer
Dec. 26, 2006, 2:57 p.m."Every religion, every culture has so many beautiful rituals and traditions to choose from. Maybe celebrating is a step toward tolerating."
So True.
-
michaelgoonan
Dec. 26, 2006, 3 p.m.Good for them! I have a friend who is Hindu that celebrates Christmas in a non-religious way as well. And why not? It's a lot of fun no matter why you celebrate it.
Little known fact that, despite the fact that only about 80% of Americnas are Christian, 98% of Americans celebrate Christmas in some way.
This has been "What I learned on the History Channel"!
-
deathray
Dec. 26, 2006, 3:07 p.m.I thought this was funny "...but what can you expect from a holiday whose spelling is constantly up for debate."
I am assuming that she means hanukah or hanukka or chanukah or chanuka or sale days at bloomingdale's (although I am a bergdorf's fan myself).
If the season is about feeling good, and generating goodwill towards other people, I am all for celebrating Chritmas, even though I am not a Christian. The world needs more of this.
-
geographer47
Dec. 26, 2006, 3:55 p.m.Take back the thread! The spelling is funny. Thanks for lightening the tone.
-
-
lfergie812
Dec. 26, 2006, 4:05 p.m."This was our house. Why couldn't we celebrate whatever we wanted?"
Why not indeed. I know people that celebrate St. Patrick's day without an ounce of Irish blood in their veins. Which is as you know the next major holiday after New Years not counting St. Valentines Day.LOL
Thanks deathray! Nice story!
-
stephen-johnson
Dec. 26, 2006, 4:43 p.m."not counting St. Valentines Day"
If there's a lady in your life, you had better count it ;-)
-
-
RedstateLib
Dec. 26, 2006, 4:16 p.m.Great story, very funny and like most Christian couples both had different vision of how the decorations should look.
-
ckperrucho
Dec. 26, 2006, 6:54 p.m.I, myself denied the existence of GOD or any gods, do I go to prison for that?
Why if I denied (I do believe it happened, but not 6 million) the HOLOCAUST, I can be in jail, loose my job, etc?
Read about people in EUROPE going to jail because "denied" the HOLOCAUST, this is just CRAZY, I have the right to say/ believe if I believe or not?
GOD deniers too going to jail, OF COURSE NOT!
-
ckperrucho
Dec. 26, 2006, 7:04 p.m.I denied the existence of GOD? Do I get sue by this? Do I go to jail? You know what I meant. People in EUROPE going to jail, loosing their jobs because don't believe in HOLOCAUST, ............. People are entitle for their own opinions, can be about God, can be about Jews & etceteras.
-
ckperrucho
Dec. 26, 2006, 7:12 p.m.I don't believe in GOD? Do I go to jail for saying that? Why should I get "sue", loose my job & go to jail if I mention that the HOLOCAUST didn't happened?
P.S. I do believe the HOLOCOUST indeed happened, ...but not in the on the scale "published", NO WAY. Who did the COUNT?
The first 54 comments are shown. Show all 93 comments »
Got a Story?
