Thank you...

[conuly]

Article on the Real Meaning of Channukah

Not that I'm Jewish. I've got my cousin Frances, but I don't think she's really Jewish either. However, I've been *trying* to tell people that Hannukah isn't a major holiday for *years* now. I get the same sort of responses as I do when I try to tell people that God sent an animal to kill 42 children for calling a man bald. Honestly, I don't know why I even bother.

Actually, I *don't* know why I bother. That's really rather mean-spirited of me, isn't it? Well, they started it. Usually.

Comments

speaking as a "halfbreed" Jew married to another...

[fascinoma.livejournal.com]

...that's two interfaith families. Each of us comes from a family with one Christian parent and one Jewish parent. The Channukah/Christmas competition (which of our families can throw the bigger shebang, and buy the most overpriced crap) will be a feature in our household as long as we're married.

You're absolutely right. Channukah is not the big holiday that Xmas is. That's part of the problem for many Jewish families around this time of year. The simple Channukah traditions just don't compete with a big tree full of cheap tinsel. But for me, it's just as much the reason I prefer being around my Jewish family this time of year; there's more sincerity and less commercialistic kitsch.

One of the tensions we're dealing with is the fact that my mate grew up with Christian holiday traditions. I feel personally invaded by bringing these traditions into the home, nor do I feel that they're compatible with raising Jewish children. Somehow, this issue never got "talked about" before we got together.

I know that there will be a lot of tension when we have kids.

Re: speaking as a "halfbreed" Jew married to another...

[conuly]

I would really suggest that you talk about it before you have kids. Before you're even about to have kids, y'know? The last thing you want to do is to have a fight as the baby is opening his/her presents.