Reply to Jewish Families: What are your holiday traditions?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here- to answer the PP, I'm asking about the holiday season (ie, after thanksgiving through New Years time frame). I suppose I'm in the minority but I grew up culturally Jewish but not around a lot of Jews so I was always envious of all of the Christmas stuff (cookie decorating, decorating the house, picking out a tree, etc.).

[b]Yes, I know that Hanukkah is a minor religious holiday. 
[/b]
Maybe I'm projecting my own feelings but[b] I don't want my kid to feel left[/b] out of the holiday fun and want to foster some non-religious traditions for our family. I guess the closest is the move and chinese food idea but obviously it's not very baby/toddler friendly!

Thanks PP for the book recommendation- I'll check it out. [/quote]

Look I hear you.  I just want to point out that for those Jews, religious or cultural, who celebrate (religiously or secularly) the entire Jewish calendar, December is not quite that big a deal.  They may do a little hanukkah or a lot, they may do only Hanukkah or even do some secular winter stuff (my wife loves looking our neighbors' lights) but the sense of everyone else having all the fun is less.  We have fun too, but not necessarily at the same time of year.  I think we make Hanukkah bear too much of the work of countering an entire culture, when there are so many Jewish resources that are more effective that we neglect.  [/quote]

Yes, I agree with this - I'm the other PP who recommended the book. People have sometimes asked me whether my kids feel "left out" at Christmas, without Santa, etc, and honestly the answer is no, and it was the same for me as a kid. I just looked at it as the fun festival that other people celebrate, and we have the different festivals that we celebrate. We enjoy what I think of as "Christmas cheer" - i.e. the festive activities (like this year we went to the Botanical Gardens, we saw the Nutcracker, etc,) and wintery things like hot chocolate and mulled wine, but I just don't feel like there's anything missing from my life on 25 December. If you're not part of it already I'd also recommend signing up for PJ Library, which is an amazing organization that sends your kid a free book every month on Jewish themes, and there are local chapters which organize events for kids which will have a Jewish element but are non-religious. Sign up here (or if this isn't your area then sign up to your local area one https://pjlibrary.org/communities/Greater-Washington-DC/203074 ) - there are lots of ways to be celebrate your Judaism and make your own traditions. And here's an article I just came across while looking for the link for you: http://www.jconnect.org/Home/Holidays-Highlights/December-Holidays[/quote]

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