On Christmas Eve I always wish I celebrated Christmas. I like the feel of Christmas Eve: the world seems quiet, people spending time with their families. Of course, that’s not necessarily true in New York, a city with more Jews than any other place in the world besides Israel, in addition to non-Christian Asians, and Muslims. On Christmas Eve much of Manhattan goes on just as it always does — maybe a bit quieter and emptier, but still displaying its essential New Yorkiness.
Christmas is weird, because in many ways it’s not a religious holiday. Christmas trees, candy canes, Santa Claus — what does any of that have to do with Jesus Christ or the Middle East? I kind of wish the holiday would go full-on secular so that I could celebrate it.
Oh, well. We’re about to head out for some Chinese food. Which I guess is close enough to celebrating Christmas for this Jew.
I’ve never wished that I celebrated Christmas — I mean, for me, Chinese and a movie IS celebration…and leftover Chinese on Boxing Day is just beyond awesome, too — but the best Christmas Ever I had was the year my Catholic friend’s family invited me over for Christmas dinner before they went to mass. I think I liked it just because it was nice to feel welcome into another’s home on their holiday when i was, for cultural and relationship reasons, a total outsider. I hope all those non-Jews my family has welcomed into our home for Passover Seders feel that same joy and acceptance.