i am sitting listening to CBS sunday morning show and it is xmas morning, I understand their attempts to recognize Hanukah starting tonight but it seems like Lynda Lopez and her chairmate are tacking hanukah on as a tag on. i hate that Hanukah gets associated with that stupid Adam Sandler song. the holidays coinciding this year only remind that Hanukah is not Xmas. I never wanted it to be a Christmas copycat holiday. I read an editorial by Jonathan Safan Foer in the TImes and i thought that he would do Hanukah more justice. ITs called a Beginners Guide to Hanukah and references things like Harry Hanukah as a counter to Santa Clause. Personally, i am insulted that there are such things as well as jews who decided that they needed a Hanukah bush to try to have a version of Christmas. i dont get it
Hanukah is not christmas. it doesnt resemble it nor should it mock it. I dont get that Jews suffer from "christmas envy" as Safan Foer puts it that they would need to replicate the holiday. Sure, it could be additional assimilation or acculturation as changing names from Rabinowitz to Rabb to try to pass. Adding XMAS traditions to Hanukah may mean tyring to mainstream but i dont get it
Hanukah is not xmas and i dont wish to be wished a Merry Xmas. i dont celebrate xmas. i dont get it...
being raised in a small new england town, where being a jew was a minority and then complicated by spending most of the xmas season with a babysitter while my parents worked in my dad's store marked the xmas season. Dad put alot of weight and desire and need on this time of year for the financial survival of my family. spending xmas eve with the family next door, while they celebrated xmas eve was part of the ritual of the season. It took an ugly twist as they celebrated with gifts and decorating the tree and santa claus while my sister and brother and i sat on the couch and watched. we are not christian and didnt participate.
hanukah's 8 gifts even equaled the gifts that my friends got under the tree. My sister talks about having to go back to school and not having the ability to the share in the conversation of "what did you get for xmas?" we didnt. our hanukah gifts paled compared to abundance. i dont get it....
what did we do on xmas? we went to the movies or we went bowling. There were chinese restaurants open, so we ate chinese food. or we ate at home...MOstly i remember bowling. My parents have tried volunteering but i dont really do that. I say i am but i dont feel that generous in getting people home for xmas. I dont take off this time of year at work. I let those christians take the time. Its not my holiday to prepare and pack up and deliver presents. I am offended that people wish me a merry xmas when they know i dont celebrate xmas. with the last name Goldberg, i dont get that they wish me merry xmas..
i am not a grinch at xmas, i just dont get it... i have tried to participate with friends... share their xmas but it just aint right so this year i get it...
i dont have to celebrate xmas or even fake it. I prefer not to even get in the spirit. it is not my holiday and never will be ....
