Reply to Interfaith families raising Jewish kids -- talk to me about the December dilemma

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[quote=Anonymous]I am Jewish and my husband is technically Jewish (as in his mother is a non-practicing Jew), but his father was raised Catholic.  Although my husband was raised as an Atheist who celebrated the December gift giving holiday, this has come up for us, when we visit his extended family over Christmas.  I agree, though, that it comes up for all Jewish families to some degree.  My three year old is talking a lot about Santa and we are not visiting that family this year and it is still and issue.  I also have an 8 year old and we have always just let the kids know that we are Jewish but that some of our family celebrates Christmas and aren't we lucky to get to celebrate with them.  We participate in the family celebrations...it has been a bit harder to remind them that we don't have a tree and Santa coming, and they sometimes ask my kids about it, but my older one is good about just sort of not really caring.

With regards to the Santa dilemma, I have always felt strongly that it is only a big deal if we make it one.  I don't ever remember feeling left out or mad as a kid because I didn't celebrate Christmas.  I though Hanukkah was way cooler.  But my parents also didn't make a big deal of making me feel different.  We went and looked at other people's lights (though we had no tree or lights at our house).  And if we wanted to sit on Santa's lap at the mall to get that candy cane, then great!  She just didn't buy the pictures.  I don't ever really remember it being a big deal.  I have tried to recreate that kind of atmosphere for my two kids.  We absolutely admire the lights and the festivities.  If my kids want to visit with Santa, rock on, but it isn't our holiday and I remind them of that.  And then we rock our menorah and our dreidels for our holiday.
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