Chanukah: Making Mountains out of Molehills

Countless articles and comments have been made about the Jewish holiday of Chanukah vs. the most widely celebrated X-tian holiday there is. The irony, in the fact that a holiday, which commemorates the victory of the Jewish traditionalists who were able to reclaim the freedom to remain distinct from the Hellenists, has spawned symbols such as blue Santa Claus suits and non-kosher dreidel marshmallows.

{Random musing: How on earth did the color blue get tied to Chanukah anyway?}

Like many other traditional Jews, I shake my head and am saddened by this phenomenon. However, as someone who has actually celebrated X-mas and had at one time felt the contagious feelings of goodwill that surmount during the month of December, I have gotten over feeling hostile about it.

When I was very young (around 3 or so) I had my own record player. One of the best times of the year is when my Grandparents would bring "The X-mas box down". In this box were decorations, heirlooms, and X-mas records. I used to play these records, with carols heralding the divine arrival of JC, and everyone knew that X-mas was not far away.

This was such a magical time; the downtown area would be transformed from winter drab to holiday festive overnight. Some nights we would just drive around the neighborhood in awe of the lengths that some of our neighbors went through to decorate. People would smile, give you candy, the post office even set up a "Letters to Santa" mailbox where you placed your letter and would then get a reply. On the relgious side, X-mas eve service was done in the dark and candlelit. With carols being sung into the cold night air and an atmosphere to solemn, you could just reach out and touch it. Despite being up very late, we always managed to wake up early X-mas morning to open our presents. To be surprised with stuff "you always wanted" and reading tags to see who was gracious enough to contribute to your holiday cheer.

So it may surprise people when I say that I don't miss X-mas at all. True, I have many, many fond memories of it. But was makes X-mas so special is not something that X-tians have exclusive rights on. Songs, gift giving, being cordial to strangers, even some unique approach to worship services are not assur to Jews. But somehow you feel this angst in some Jews. Our Chanukah is somewhat inferior, with its simple menorahs and driedels, to the pomp and circumstance of X-mas. And while these same Jews will never "give in" (or "assimilate"), they don't feel satisfied with what they have.

As an outsider coming in, it is sad to see how some Jews (Orthodox and non) just "go through the motions" with scarcely a smile or a sense of contentment. Instead they kvetch about the latkes not coming out right, or how frightful the weather is, or how bad the traffic is because everyone is holiday shopping. They lament over forgoing the company holiday party and receiving solicitation phone calls from the Salvation Army.

As Jews are a gross minority in America you can understand if it just becomes too much. But there is nothing new under the sun (as it says in Kohelles) and the Jews have been down this road before. Jewish life and holidays should not be compared to their non-Jewish counterparts in any way. Just like a schoolteacher should not compare their job to that of a babysitter; it may at times seem to overlap, but it really does not.

Sure, non-Jews have the "Magical Month of December" where everything is decorated to look visually stunning, and caring and giving run amok. But the Jews should have this year round. Decorate your home with flowers and special diningware for Shabbos, give tzedakah with a smile and kind words, get some creative ways to make each yontif memorable for the young ones. That should be the secret to wading through X-mas Land with your head above it all. Judaism teaches us to radiate this magic all year long.