hitthegroundboys
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What do JEWISH do on Christmas eve & Christmas???
Most Jews (even many highly assimilated Jews) are uncomfortable about Christmas. We don't object to Christians celebrating Christmas, but we don't particularly want to celebrate it ourselves, and there is enormous social pressure to celebrate Christmas, whether we want to or not. As one Jewish writer said, "just try telling a Christmas enthusiast that the creche in front of your post office makes you un-easy; suddenly, 'frosty' describes more than just the snowman." Many secular Christians have told me that Christmas is my holiday too, and some of them get very angry or even nasty when I tell them that I don't want to celebrate it, calling me "Grinch" or "Scrooge." I have no doubt that before this Christmas season is over, I will receive a few emails telling me that I should celebrate Christmas; I get them every year.
So if Jews don't celebrate Christmas, then what do we do on December 25?
It's tough to find something to do on Christmas, because just about everything is closed. Here are a few of the more popular December 25 activities for Jews.
Go out for Chinese food
Many Jews go out for Chinese food on Christmas. The Chinese do not celebrate Christmas any more than we do, so most Chinese restaurants are open on Christmas. In Philadelphia and New York, there are several kosher-certified Chinese restaurants to choose from, so that even the most observant Jew can eat Chinese on Christmas. This popular option was somewhat limited on December 25, 2001, because Christmas fell on the Fast of Tevet! Fortunately, this will not happen again until 2020!
Go to the Matzah Ball
In some cities, Jewish singles organizations sponsor "Matzah Balls," Jewish singles dances, on Christmas Eve or Christmas night.
Go to a movie
Many movie theaters are open on Christmas day, particularly in the afternoon (after 4PM). In fact, in 1998, a friend and I went to see The Prince of Egypt in a local theater on the afternoon of Christmas day.
Get together with family
It's often tough to get the whole family together for dinner, especially when the children are grown up or not living in the immediate area. Christmas is a time when everybody is sure to have the day off. Some families do this do it with a vague sense of guilt at celebrating Christmas, and often repeatedly remind each other that "we're not celebrating Christmas, it's just a convenient time to have a family get-together."
Go to work
Jewish people often volunteer to work on Christmas, especially if they work in 24/7 community service jobs like hospitals, newspapers, or police departments. This allows their Christian co-workers to get the day off, and gives the Jewish worker an extra day off at some other time of the year, when everything isn't closed. Even if your business isn't 24/7, you can often talk your boss into letting you work Christmas in order to get another day off some other time.
Some of my readers have told me about the following Christmas activities by Jews in their communities:
A community in Mexico City organized a group of Jews to cover for Christians who would otherwise have to work on Christmas. This was called "Project Brotherhood."
Jews in the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia areas go to Atlantic City, where the casinos never close, and the hotels are very inexpensive. The casinos are practically empty on Christmas, except for Jews, Indians and Asians
Most Jews (even many highly assimilated Jews) are uncomfortable about Christmas. We don't object to Christians celebrating Christmas, but we don't particularly want to celebrate it ourselves, and there is enormous social pressure to celebrate Christmas, whether we want to or not. As one Jewish writer said, "just try telling a Christmas enthusiast that the creche in front of your post office makes you un-easy; suddenly, 'frosty' describes more than just the snowman." Many secular Christians have told me that Christmas is my holiday too, and some of them get very angry or even nasty when I tell them that I don't want to celebrate it, calling me "Grinch" or "Scrooge." I have no doubt that before this Christmas season is over, I will receive a few emails telling me that I should celebrate Christmas; I get them every year.
So if Jews don't celebrate Christmas, then what do we do on December 25?
It's tough to find something to do on Christmas, because just about everything is closed. Here are a few of the more popular December 25 activities for Jews.
Go out for Chinese food
Many Jews go out for Chinese food on Christmas. The Chinese do not celebrate Christmas any more than we do, so most Chinese restaurants are open on Christmas. In Philadelphia and New York, there are several kosher-certified Chinese restaurants to choose from, so that even the most observant Jew can eat Chinese on Christmas. This popular option was somewhat limited on December 25, 2001, because Christmas fell on the Fast of Tevet! Fortunately, this will not happen again until 2020!
Go to the Matzah Ball
In some cities, Jewish singles organizations sponsor "Matzah Balls," Jewish singles dances, on Christmas Eve or Christmas night.
Go to a movie
Many movie theaters are open on Christmas day, particularly in the afternoon (after 4PM). In fact, in 1998, a friend and I went to see The Prince of Egypt in a local theater on the afternoon of Christmas day.
Get together with family
It's often tough to get the whole family together for dinner, especially when the children are grown up or not living in the immediate area. Christmas is a time when everybody is sure to have the day off. Some families do this do it with a vague sense of guilt at celebrating Christmas, and often repeatedly remind each other that "we're not celebrating Christmas, it's just a convenient time to have a family get-together."
Go to work
Jewish people often volunteer to work on Christmas, especially if they work in 24/7 community service jobs like hospitals, newspapers, or police departments. This allows their Christian co-workers to get the day off, and gives the Jewish worker an extra day off at some other time of the year, when everything isn't closed. Even if your business isn't 24/7, you can often talk your boss into letting you work Christmas in order to get another day off some other time.
Some of my readers have told me about the following Christmas activities by Jews in their communities:
A community in Mexico City organized a group of Jews to cover for Christians who would otherwise have to work on Christmas. This was called "Project Brotherhood."
Jews in the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia areas go to Atlantic City, where the casinos never close, and the hotels are very inexpensive. The casinos are practically empty on Christmas, except for Jews, Indians and Asians
