I’m a Girl Scout leader.  I have two scouts who have one Catholic parent and one Jewish parent.  I think it is perfectly reasonable for those families to wish to celebrate both holidays.

I guess everything comes full circle.  The pagan festival that Christmas was meant to supplant, the Winter Solitice, has come back with a vengeance.  It’s tempting to fantasize moving Christmas to September or some other date thus restoring it as a purely Christian holiday and letting the pagans keep their “winter holiday” which Christians could then ignore.  I used to be confused about why some Protestant denominations refuse to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 but I am starting to understand why.  At the same time, Easter has become Spring Equinox/spring pagan festival.  Can’t really ever move Easter to another date because it is based on when Judaism celebrates the Passover.  I read an article recently how Christians allow this to happen.  For example yesterday I got a Christmas card from some very religious evangelical friends that just had a kitten on it with a Santa cap.  Another example:  In our predominantly Catholic neighborhood there are only three houses with nativity scenes outside (ours being one of the three) but tons of Santas, reindeer, snowmen and other stuff.

Arwen, this is beautiful.  And so true.  In the last few years, our family has been forced over and over again to “simplifiy” Christmas…with me being on bedrest, then a special needs child and the death of a very dear and close friend….it has been an interesting few years.  And this year, as I decorated, I realized, that the less I put out, the more simple I made things, the more beauty arose before my eyes.  I have had people compliment my home this year…“So beautiful.  So Peaceful.”  it is amazing what happens when we actually CELEBRATE and participate in Advent!  It is a time of preparation.  It is not Christmas.  Christmas STARTS on Christmas Eve…and the first day of Christmas is actually Christmas day!  So as we work on our Jesse Tree, and talk about making little sacrifices, and make cookies and treats and then freeze them (before we eat them all) to save for the true time of celebration…Christmas, and the second Coming of Christ Jesus…because that it what we should truly be preparing ourselves for.  “Find Us Ready Lord, Not Standing Still.  Find us loving and working, and doing Your Will. Find Us ready Lord, faithful and true.  Building the Kingdom both here and above. Building the Kingdom, of Mercy and Love!” (Tom Booth)

Thank you, Arwen. What a beautiful and meaningful piece about celebrating faith first, fun second.

Didn’t get to read the Kveller article yet, but my first reaction is that although it would not make sense for a believing Jew to celebrate Christmas, it could make plenty of sense for believing Christians to celebrate Hanukkah in a token way, such as reading the story in Maccabees and lighting a menorah (explaining what these signify to the children.)  We see ourselves as “completed” Jews. The story of our salvation includes everything in the Old Testament, including the events that led to the celebration of Hanukkah. I’ll bet Jews that convert to Christianity might well continue to celebrate Hanukkah.

I have quite a few Catholic friends who married Jewish men.  In each of their circumstances, they observe Hanukkah as a historical event, not so much religious, and celebrate Christmas, as their children are baptized (although none of the spouses have converted).

I always love someone who isn’t afraid to write a controversial article that is true.

The thing is, Christmas is recognized as a national holiday in the U.S.  Not any other religion’s holiday is on the calendar as a national/government holiday. So, even if you are not Christian, you are still off from work, banks closed, etc. I know Christians claim the holiday is secularized, but what can you do on a holiday that you don’t believe the religion of? Celebrate all the other stuff without Jesus. And “Jesus is the reason for the season” us true.. For Christians & obviously, Christians should celebrate it that day. If we don’t want others celebrating our holiday without religion, then it should be treated like all the other religion’s holidays: you have to use your own vacation/personal time to get off work. This won’t ever happen, since Christians are the majority in the US. I would not be offended by others celebrating, they are celebrating a national holiday, nor a religious one to them. Just think about it from another viewpoint, if you were another religion, your holidays are not recognized nationally & they are kept holy days to the religious who practice them.