Should Jews Celebrate "You Know What"?

[thesummerqueen]

http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/86270/sh...know-what/

Basically, no.

According to this post: http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/ac...f221dd6a3c

Look, you want to sing some of the carols on your own time? Okay; one time our class (private non-sectarian school) learned “Dona Nobis Pacem,” which is a beautiful song, and went around singing it door-to-door around the holiday season, and that was nice. If you’re at a Christian person’s party and there are Christmas accoutrements, be nice and ecumenical about it—you’re a guest! Drink the eggnog, suck the candy cane, have a slice of the ham (well, maybe not the ham, but you get the idea). If there’s a mistletoe and there’s a special someone you want to kiss under it, go indulge yourselves, you crazy kids, you.

But as far as celebrating Christmas religiously, or singing carols on that day with your family, or even, yes, having a tree in the home, well—and I hate to condescend or feel like I can tell you what to do despite the fact that I don’t even know you—if you’re Jewish you really shouldn’t be doing it. It’s not because it conflicts with Hanukkah, which is indeed a minor holiday. (Want to be Jewish and not celebrate Hanukkah? Go nuts.) And it’s not okay just to do the minimal, seemingly non-religious things (like the tree). Those things are just as important to avoid: they are symbols, and thus even purer expressions of how you convey yourself to yourself, your family, and the rest of the world. Christmas is a wonderful time of year because it reminds you of the blandishments of your identity, and indeed that identity is wildly flexible. But that flexibility and those blandishments depend on some limit, without which nobody has anything. That limit matters. And celebrating Christmas is beyond that limit.

Fortunately there was a different side linked in:

http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/we...-hanukkah/

Our mostly agnostic family celebrates both Jewish and Christian holidays, despite the fact that such cross-practice is technically anathema to both religions. We shamelessly pick and choose religio-cultural traditions and implement them willy-nilly. Here’s why, and how, and why it should be okay

I feel like these arguments turn into a huge sort of No-True-Scotsman fallacy about the holidays.

[Michelle_Patton]

Until this year, I honestly had no idea there was such a big thing about non-Christians celebrating Christmas. Possibly because my family weren't even remotely religious, it was always about a day of family, too much food, too much alcohol, swimming and naps in the afternoon. Oh, and presents of course!

If you want to celebrate, then celebrate.

[thesummerqueen]

Chanuka was always a shitty holiday at my house. Basically a night to play with fire. I don't see the huge deal now about celebrating Christmas other than having a few days off to go see friends, but then...I never celebrated it so I don't know what I'm missing, I guess. I did some family stuff when I was with my ex but it was chaotic and I missed the whole Santa part as a kid so it was basically like getting together for Thanksgiving + gifts. [shrugs]

Since the trappings are pretty much pagan, I say "why the fuck does it matter?"

[Shell B]

If they feel like it./story

[Minimalist]

[helmespc]

If you want to celebrate, then celebrate.

Exactly, you're most likely off work, everything is closed... might as well celebrate something.... I personally celebrate family, friends, and alcohol... I don't know why someone would be expected not to celebrate on a certain date, just because its someone else' perceived holiday.

[thesummerqueen]

The entire argument rests on "You are Jewish but it's going to somehow lessen your Jewishness if you take part in any of the symbolism of the season" which is why I mention that the tree and such are pagan trappings - nothing to do with Christianity other than having been swallowed up by them.

Let's not get into the pagan symbolism that got neatly swallowed up by the Jews regarding Passover, another fabulous non-event that happens to be MY favorite Jewish holiday.

[Erinome]

I just make sure I get my bag of shwag before christmas eve. All the homies are too fucked up to answer the phone on christmas eve/day, and I'll be damned if I am gonna watch the Christmas Story marathon on TBS without something to put in my bong.

I don't care what anyone else in the world does that day, just as long as they're not hurting anyone.

[thesummerqueen]

Unless they want to be hurt.

[Erinome]

Well, if being hurt was included in their letter to Santa, then by all means...