Just have to rant.. some people

OK This really annoyed me...Yesterday I am in AC with Jillian and we are standing online and some very sweet old lady is talking and smiling st her and Jillian pointed at the lights with Santa.. and this lady goes.. oh look santa did you go see him? , is he going to pay you a visit?... I said to Jillian.. yes thats Santa but we do not belive in him and this lady looks at me like Why? So i said that we are Jewish and gave me this look like i offened her or something ...Jillian is at the age where she is noticing all the holiday hoopla that is going around.. i mean she stared at my friends xmas tree for 20 min the other day. I want to let her know about all the different holidays and what is the meaning about them is and even going to celebrate them with her friends when she gets older.. but why does the fact that we are jewish and celebrate Hanukkah make any difference to others or ..there are many religions out there.. i feel that xmas and the holiday season is always thrown in everyone face .. Why do have to spend so much money only one time of the year to show people and our kids how much we love them with tons of gifts that will end up in a yard sale years from now ...I am guilty of it I feel like i have been buying and buying to make the fact that we do not have a tree in our house to make the holiday seem "real" .

I guess this is just my rant...I hope I did not offend anyone with what I have said.. but this is how I am feeling right now...that is why it is 3am and I am wide awake on this...

thanks for reading

Re: Just have to rant.. some people

Its 9.54 am here in the UK, but lets pretend its 4.54 am on LI so I can sympathize with you.

I can't get over the fact that most people can't believe that Jewish people don't celebrate Christmas! I get that almost every holiday season...people ask me, don't you have a tree? Don't you give presents? Don't you get presents? And as I am due to give birth in about 2 weeks, everyone keeps saying...ooooh maybe a Christmas Day Baby! I keep saying to them, well it won't matter to me, I'm Jewish and this baby is going to be Jewish!

I give Christmas Cards to my friends at this time of year, but feel uncomfortable doing so, but the husband isn't Jewish (but doesn't do Christmas...so thats okay)I do cook him a Christmas lunch, but I call it Holiday Lunch...

Anyway, I know how you feel because I have to explain not celebrating Christmas to people on a regular basis...especially stupid people

Re: Just have to rant.. some people

I totally agree!!!! This is a very hard time to be Jewish parents.... The Christmas holiday is so much fun and is everywhere and in everything you do.... Especially my inlaws, who bring in a "hanukah bush" (thats not confusing and offensive or anything...)...

Having said that, I did buy Carolyn 8 gifts for Hanukah and she will open one each night....

Re: Just have to rant.. some people

I think the root of the problem is that the Christmas holiday has become a non religious holiday and time of year. So everyone just assumes that people will celebrate the"Holidays". I am Catholic and do celebrate Christmas, but if I came down from outer space to experience Christmas for the first time I would have no idea that it was a religious holiday! It has become a secular term in my opinion. I'm my no means a holy roller, but I think it is unfortunate that those of other faiths that don't celebrate Christmas have to get bombarded with Christmas. I can only imagine the confusion it would cause to kids when everywhere you go all you see is Christmas imagery and nothing of Hanukah. It was never like this when I was growing up. Chistmas wasnt a 3 month holiday driven by consumerism.

Re: Just have to rant.. some people

ally nice, but in general we have lost sight of what this season is all about. I have always felt bad for my jewish friends around this season because christmas takes all the attentio. One of my daughter's best friends is Jewish so we celebrate each othe's holidats together, to teach the kids about different cultures. This little girl has a stocking at our house and finds a gift that Santa left her under our tree, on the opposite end- my daughter enjoys the readings during the 8 nights of hannaukah and has learned the jewish customs a really respects them ( and loves the customary foods.)
Hang in here, if you have a catholic friend try what we have done, the kids love it, now my daughter feels part of the Jewish holiday and her friend now feels part of the hoopla of the holiday season even though it is not the way her religion celebrates.

Message edited 12/8/2006 11:43:53 PM.

Re: Just have to rant.. some people

i agree with u 100%. i love to look at the lights. when i was younger, i wished that i could've had a tree. when i have a child, i'll teach her what hanukkah is all about

Re: Just have to rant.. some people

First, let me emphasize that I agree with you and all of the above posts. But when you said "we dont believe in santa" it reminded me of something.

A friend of mine has older kids who are aging out of believing in santa. One of their friends whose parents are atheist flat out told the kid santa doesnt exist and the kid being a kid told her friends.

It just made me think that if you teach her that you dont believe in santa it might make it harder for her when she is older and around other kids who do. Perhaps, you can go with, some people celebrate christmas and believe in santa. We celebrate Channukah and Santa is not part of that holiday, or whatever you are comfortable with.

I am not Jewsih, so I can only imagine what this is like for you. So please dont be offended, I was just thinking about this one situation and since the holiday has become so secular how it would effect the children in regards to their friendships.

Re: Just have to rant.. some people

I feel things are so out of control too with Christmas. I try to keep my well wishes as general as I can at this time of year because you don't know who might be Born Again, Jewish, Muslim, etc. I figure if I wish everyone a safe holiday season, I'm in the clear

I would love to learn more about judiasm because my future SIL is jewish and I just love her to pieces and don't want to single her out by not showing appreciation of her holiday and culture. I was going to buy a beautiful menorah to include in our holiday celebration at our house but hubby thought she might find it offensive since we're not jewish. Any thoughts?

Re: Just have to rant.. some people