Jews with Christmas/Holiday trees

[Anonymous]

So you don’t want to be Jewish and you don’t want your children to be Jewish and you give zero effs about what your grandparents or their parents went through for your right to have the choice to eff over thousands of years of tradition because you want to take pictures of your food, practice yoga with goats, cure your own candid bacon, and fancy yourself a millennial BuJu. When your children become born again, remember your zero effs given.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you don’t want to be Jewish and you don’t want your children to be Jewish and you give zero effs about what your grandparents or their parents went through for your right to have the choice to eff over thousands of years of tradition because you want to take pictures of your food, practice yoga with goats, cure your own candid bacon, and fancy yourself a millennial BuJu. When your children become born again, remember your zero effs given.

What is this word salad? I take pictures of my food, practice and teach yoga (haven’t done it with goats, but have done it with rescue puppies), and can preserve & eat bacon...and I’m an outspoken practicing Jew who wears a Star and doesn’t have a Christmas tree. I’m not following your line of thinking.

[Anonymous]

PP at 10:46. I should mention that I’m married to a non-Jew and we’re raising our children Jewish. We celebrate Christmas with my ILs because it’s part of DH’s family background, but DCs recognize that that’s something we do with the grandparents, not in our own house or with my parents. It’s really not that hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the religion of Christianity, but every day Christians like my previous roommate who would buy candles in the shape of Buddha for fun. That is incredibly disrespectful to Buddhists. This thread is talking about symbols of religion - the Christmas tree. Symbols of any religion are meaningful to those practicing that religion.

As has been pointed out many times, a Christmas tree is not a religious symbol.


Manger, yes, tree, no.

If people on this thread agreed with that, the tree as a secular form of celebration for all people would t be an issue and no need for this thread. But people disagree about this so here we are.

But that's the point exactly. If a non-Christian puts up a tree, it isn't religious and it isn't disrespectful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP at 10:46. I should mention that I’m married to a non-Jew and we’re raising our children Jewish. We celebrate Christmas with my ILs because it’s part of DH’s family background, but DCs recognize that that’s something we do with the grandparents, not in our own house or with my parents. It’s really not that hard.

Nor is it hard to accept that other Jewish families have a Holiday Tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the religion of Christianity, but every day Christians like my previous roommate who would buy candles in the shape of Buddha for fun. That is incredibly disrespectful to Buddhists. This thread is talking about symbols of religion - the Christmas tree. Symbols of any religion are meaningful to those practicing that religion.

As has been pointed out many times, a Christmas tree is not a religious symbol.


Manger, yes, tree, no.

If people on this thread agreed with that, the tree as a secular form of celebration for all people would t be an issue and no need for this thread. But people disagree about this so here we are.

But that's the point exactly. If a non-Christian puts up a tree, it isn't religious and it isn't disrespectful.

I was raised Protestant now atheist and we still do Christmas and all the trimmings minus Jesus, but I am certain that there are a good number of Christians who would find what I do and Jews or other non Christians adopting portions of the celebration of the birth of their messiah as disrespectful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the religion of Christianity, but every day Christians like my previous roommate who would buy candles in the shape of Buddha for fun. That is incredibly disrespectful to Buddhists. This thread is talking about symbols of religion - the Christmas tree. Symbols of any religion are meaningful to those practicing that religion.

As has been pointed out many times, a Christmas tree is not a religious symbol.


Manger, yes, tree, no.

If people on this thread agreed with that, the tree as a secular form of celebration for all people would t be an issue and no need for this thread. But people disagree about this so here we are.

But that's the point exactly. If a non-Christian puts up a tree, it isn't religious and it isn't disrespectful.

I was raised Protestant now atheist and we still do Christmas and all the trimmings minus Jesus, but I am certain that there are a good number of Christians who would find what I do and Jews or other non Christians adopting portions of the celebration of the birth of their messiah as disrespectful.

They would be wrong.

As I also would be if I found their appropriation of pagan symbols for religious celebrations disrespectful.

[Anonymous]

We have a "hanukkah bush". DH is purebred Jewish and I am only half but raised celebrating Christmas. Mother in law was not happy but accepts it.

[Anonymous]

In many countries it is known as New Year’s Tree. Several Arab countries also have huge decorated trees in malls and airports. They were also present everywhere in “aetheist” USSR. I do not get the PP who claims the tree embodies the body of Christ.

[Anonymous]

When there is a tree lighting ceremony at the synagogue is when it will be okay for me to put up a tree in my house.

[Anonymous]

I take zero issue with anyone of any religion celebrating any part of Christmas- I love Christmas! I do take serious issue with people saying "well I have a Christmas tree and do Santa because most Christmas stuff like that isn't religious anyways". Look, hate to break it to you, but Christmas is a religious holiday. It's the second holiest after Easter. Do a tree if you want, do Elf on the Shelf, knock yourself out and have fun because it IS fun. But don't justify it by demeaning our holiday in the process. By participating in it while joking "well it's not like there was a Christmas tree at the birth of Jesus, it's just a fun decoration" is cultural appropriation, and rude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I take zero issue with anyone of any religion celebrating any part of Christmas- I love Christmas! I do take serious issue with people saying "well I have a Christmas tree and do Santa because most Christmas stuff like that isn't religious anyways". Look, hate to break it to you, but Christmas is a religious holiday. It's the second holiest after Easter. Do a tree if you want, do Elf on the Shelf, knock yourself out and have fun because it IS fun. But don't justify it by demeaning our holiday in the process. By participating in it while joking "well it's not like there was a Christmas tree at the birth of Jesus, it's just a fun decoration" is cultural appropriation, and rude.

I am a pagan and you have appropriated our culture with the decorated and lit evergreen tree and it is rude! Stop this cultural appropriation!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take zero issue with anyone of any religion celebrating any part of Christmas- I love Christmas! I do take serious issue with people saying "well I have a Christmas tree and do Santa because most Christmas stuff like that isn't religious anyways". Look, hate to break it to you, but Christmas is a religious holiday. It's the second holiest after Easter. Do a tree if you want, do Elf on the Shelf, knock yourself out and have fun because it IS fun. But don't justify it by demeaning our holiday in the process. By participating in it while joking "well it's not like there was a Christmas tree at the birth of Jesus, it's just a fun decoration" is cultural appropriation, and rude.

I am a pagan and you have appropriated our culture with the decorated and lit evergreen tree and it is rude! Stop this cultural appropriation!

Yes, you post this multiple times on every thread about Christmas. Christmas celebrations absolutely have Pagan roots, from hundreds of years ago. We get it. I still stand by my entire post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take zero issue with anyone of any religion celebrating any part of Christmas- I love Christmas! I do take serious issue with people saying "well I have a Christmas tree and do Santa because most Christmas stuff like that isn't religious anyways". Look, hate to break it to you, but Christmas is a religious holiday. It's the second holiest after Easter. Do a tree if you want, do Elf on the Shelf, knock yourself out and have fun because it IS fun. But don't justify it by demeaning our holiday in the process. By participating in it while joking "well it's not like there was a Christmas tree at the birth of Jesus, it's just a fun decoration" is cultural appropriation, and rude.

I am a pagan and you have appropriated our culture with the decorated and lit evergreen tree and it is rude! Stop this cultural appropriation!

Yes, you post this multiple times on every thread about Christmas. Christmas celebrations absolutely have Pagan roots, from hundreds of years ago. We get it. I still stand by my entire post.

I admire how you can hold contradictory beliefs in at once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a defense mechanism—a Jew with a tree likes the thought, on some level, that she or he will be taken for Christian. The level of self hatred is, sadly, severe. Signed, a half Jew.

I hope you weren’t raised Jewish (aka educated in Judaism) and still feel that way.

I was. I perceived so much self loathing in others , and I continue to do so. To be fair, this is DC, which is a conformist town where Jews strive to be waspy.