Holiday Spirit
This morning my newspaper reprinted the famous column from the Chicago Sun of 1897 in which its editor reassures Virginia O’Hanlon that there really is a Santa Claus. I have always enjoyed re-reading this column. I like it because of its overarching good will and its lack of specificity about who and what exactly is Santa Claus. It’s clear that its author believes in a Supreme Being but he leaves no clue from what religious tradition that Being originates. I appreciate the writer’s caution.
I have a complicated relationship with the December holidays. My parentage is half-Jewish and half sort of Christian with a large dollop of atheism thrown in. As a child we celebrated a completely secular Christmas. But as my life has unfolded, I have found my Jewish half exerting a stronger pull on my heart and spirituality. Still, December in the United States is all about Christmas.
This year my husband (who is 100% Jewish) produced a homemade, 5-foot-in-diameter Star of David for our front lawn. He wrapped it with multi-colored lights and hung one of the spiral lighted Christmas trees along side it in front of our house. I think this display is a perfect representation of who we are. We love the festivity of the season: the parties, the songs, the lights, the food, the gifts (and especially the time off from work). But underneath our celebration, in our hearts and our DNA, we remain Jewish with our own view of the world and our place within it.
Comments
Laurie-I have fond memories of our secular Christmases with you and your family as children including photos of all of us with a Christmas tree and gifts. As an adult who also married a 100% Jewish man, I have not celebrated Christmas in many years. I really don't miss it. It is almost a relief not to be bothered by it. Of course we made a bigger deal about Chanukah when our kids were younger but it has all worked out.
Posted by: Paula Kaplan | January 2, 2008 05:47 PM