Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are Jewish and getting a Holiday tree this year.

Why does anyone else care what we do or what we call it?

We all have more important things to talk and worry about than who has a pine tree with lights on it in their living room.

We are a small people and the more who assimilate, the smaller we are, and the harder it is for us. IF keeping a tree leads to more assimilation (debatable) then it is a concern.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are atheists but we still celebrate Christmas with our DC. It’s a secular holiday at this point—being with family and being grateful for what you have at the end of the year.

I think it is easier for atheists to describe it as a secular holiday. People who celebrate other religions often take issue with that idea, as do many Christians for that matter.

Anonymous wrote:The Christmas tree is supposed to represent the body of Christ. It’s pretty and it smells good. But, it’s not a secular symbol. So, I buy a stock of pine candles half price after the holiday and light them all year because they smell good, and I celebrate Jewish holidays with my kids. My choice - make yours, but don’t pretend Christmas is a secular pagan solstice thingy. It is insulting to Christians - and Jews.

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.

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are atheists but we still celebrate Christmas with our DC. It’s a secular holiday at this point—being with family and being grateful for what you have at the end of the year.

I think it is easier for atheists to describe it as a secular holiday. People who celebrate other religions often take issue with that idea, as do many Christians for that matter.

Similarly it’s easy for Christians and other religious people to take symbols of a religion like Buddhism and wholly direspect it. You only hurt when directed towards you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are atheists but we still celebrate Christmas with our DC. It’s a secular holiday at this point—being with family and being grateful for what you have at the end of the year.

I think it is easier for atheists to describe it as a secular holiday. People who celebrate other religions often take issue with that idea, as do many Christians for that matter.

Anonymous wrote:We are Jewish and getting a Holiday tree this year.

Why does anyone else care what we do or what we call it?

We all have more important things to talk and worry about than who has a pine tree with lights on it in their living room.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all you Jewish folks getting Christmas trees, did ANY of you build and decorate sukkahs this year? You know that you can do that right? A sukkah can have pine branches, can be decorated not just with gourds but with electric lights, hanging things, even strung popcorn if you are brave.

Are you going to celebrate Tu B'shvat?

That you probably did not think of doing that, is the real problem with Christmas trees.

PP, you seem to have a very narrow view - perhaps what is right for you is not right for other Jews.

The point that pp is making that you have missed is that Judaism has fun, meaningful holidays and traditions that a lot of Jews don’t pay attention to but they are so eager to celebrate others’ religious traditions. Jews have holidays that are more fun and celebratory than any Christian holidays and many who choose to celebrate Christian traditions don’t even know it. Purim comes to mind. Sukkot. Simchat Torah. Pp is not narrow for pointing this out. Quite the opposite.

Ok -- I'm a Jew who has celebrated Purim and Sukkot (though not Simchat Torah). You're not going to convince me dressing up like Esther or building a Sukkah (although fun) is as fun as Christmas. There's just SO much to the Christmas celebrations, from the carols to the pretty decorations, Santa Claus, etc. There are also all the Christmas movies and the whole atmosphere surrounding the secular side of the celebration. Since Christianity dominates the culture of the Western World, dozens more traditions have developed than the ones surrounding Jewish holidays.

You can argue that Jews should stick to celebrating our own holidays--and I can see that--but don't try to convince anyone that Jewish holidays are as fun as Christmas. Not by a long shot.

I honestly don't care who celebrates what. I don't really celebrate anything. However, in strong Jewish communities, families celebrate Jewish holidays together, year after year, not just in Sunday school and not sometimes yes, sometimes no. These families do not crave a holiday like Christmas because they already have them in Judaism. I have a feeling I know how you celebrated Jewish holidays because I probably celebrated them similarly and they hold no attraction for me at this point. I have seen how other more observant Jews observe Jewish holidays and they go all out with their communities year after year-- much like people who celebrate Christmas. For people like you and me, celebrating Christmas is much easier because we live in a mostly Christian society. Jews must seek out other Jews to celebrate with. In Israel, do you think the Jews want to celebrate Christmas? No-- because they are in the majority and have other Jews to celebrate their own holidays with. The bottom line is that most Jews who live in a more secular or Christian environment are not as likely to make the effort to celebrate Jewish holidays when it is so much easier to take on the holidays of the majority. You probably never learned how to celebrate Jewish holidays in a meaningful way-- and I am not saying this as someone who is superior or casting judgment. I never celebrated the holidays the way observant Jews did except when I was visiting my observant relatives. Then I saw how they celebrated. This really comes down to a lifestyle choice. If you wanted the Jewish celebrations, you would make them happen. Christmas is a lot easier if you are not living in a Jewish community.

Good points. Some of this is just 'its more fun to be in the majority'. I have never celebrated a Jewish holiday in Israel, but have been told its a blast (plus you get to celebrate obscure things like Maimouna!) I HAVE spent Purim in an Orthodox neighborhood in NYC, and it was unlike any Purim I had experienced elsewhere - kids and adults in costume, filling the streets, people taking shlach monas baskets all over, etc. Sorry, its not the same in Upper Northwest.

But its also still my opinion, that even in places like DC, the folks who crave christmas are all (or almost all) people who either do not celebrate the Jewish holidays in full, or who were brought up with Christmas.

Note, of course, you can enjoy SOME aspects of Christmas as a spectator - as I said earlier, I can enjoy my neighbor's decorations.