This Jew loves Christmas.
Yes, I know that the meaning of the holiday is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, whom Christians worship as God incarnate and I respect as a great moral leader.
But Christmas is so much more.
It’s about peace and joy and goodwill. It’s about beautiful decorations and beautiful music. It’s about giving and receiving with heartfelt appreciation. It’s about the brotherhood of man. It’s about love.
You don’t have to be Christian to embrace a season dedicated to all of these wonderful things. Christmas has the distinction of welcoming even those who are not of the Christian faith to join in and be included. I know of no other religious occasion like it.
There may be some Scrooges who are so persnickety that in order to enjoy the season, they need to avoid mentioning any specific holiday and insist that all of this be treated as a generic season. After all, Hanukkah comes at this time of year too. But the fact of the matter is that the reason we Jews exchange presents for Hanukkah is that we saw how much fun the Christians were having, and we wanted to join in on that fun!
Let’s face it – This is Christmas season, and it costs me nothing as a Jew not only to acknowledge it as such but to fully embrace it as such. I enjoy wishing folks a Merry Christmas, and I love it when others wish it for me.
Growing up, we didn’t have a Christmas tree. It wasn’t “our” tradition. But having married a woman who is a devout Christian, my family puts one up every year. What great fun we were missing growing up! Our kids (whom we are raising Jewish) love decorating our tree, and the ornaments have so much sentimental meaning. I love the spirit of love that our Christmas tree gives off.
And, of course, there’s Santa. Even my sister and I were visited by Santa when we were kids. So even then, my Jewish family understood on some level that Christmas embraces non-Christians. And now, as a parent, there is nothing more heartwarming than watching my own boys put out the cookies and milk (and this year oats for the reindeer!) and the excitement when they wake up to see what Santa left for them!
So, while others might temper their enjoyment of the season by serving as PC police, this Jew wishes everyone, Christian and non-Christian alike, a very Merry Christmas!
