Regular readers will know that I am Jewish, this means that I don’t celebrate Christmas. No gifts, no trees, no decorations, no big feast (I do that one often enough). And no, as I outlined in the video below, Chanukah is nothing like Christmas. Nothing. The only similarity is that they both start with a Ch. Although some people spell Hannukah with an H.
Every year around this time I watch in awe and wonder as people get ready for the festive season. And with absolutely no disrespect to anyone at all, it reaffirms for me how I could never ever celebrate Christmas.
- I struggle with the whole gift giving at Christmas time thing. This may be because I lack practise but I can never get it right with the Christmas presents that I do buy. Are they meant to be token gifts? Are they meant to be fancy/useful/meaningful or alcoholic? Are chocolates enough and is a coffee machine too much?
- On that whole present thing I have strong feelings about the fact that we all have much too much stuff. Me included. I would far rather my money go somewhere it really makes a difference. Not in the “oh that lipstick will change my life” difference but a meaningful difference – like water for people who need it, or chickens or mosquito nets or goats or education. Or shelter. You know things that make chocolates look insignificant.
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Oops I forgot that I was going to try and keep this light.
- I am very bad at wrapping gifts that are not box shaped.
- I hate shopping centres at the best of times, there are no words to explain how I feel about the crowds at Christmas time. It actually makes me claustrophobic just to just type the word Westfield.
- I don’t (and won’t) get the elf on a shelf thing. Is that a way of making Christmas last even longer? Is that elf meant to be spying on your family to report back to Santa on your behaviour? Is that the creepiest concept you can ever teach your kids? Again no disrespect I just don’t get it.
- I would short circuit the entire electricity grid if I were to decorate my house. If you read about my over catering here, you can get an idea of what I would do with Christmas lights
- I am against forced merriment of any nature. Just call me the Grinch but I think that the expectation that because you are MEANT to have fun you will have fun on a certain day only creates false expectations that can never be met.
- Celebrations are often better without family members. No offence to family members of my own *coughs loudly*
- I could not support any holiday which encourages children to get up early
- Christmas carols. I think you have to be brought up with them to like them. I was not brought up with them.
- Church. I ain’t going there – especially at midnight. At midnight I like to sleep.
So yeah, no Christmas for me but I am ever grateful for the Public Holiday. Those I can go with.
Watch me and Kerri talk more Christmas/Holiday stuff here and tell me what you love about Christmas time.
I hear you. I’m thinking maybe I was born into the wrong faith – I am not a big fan of Christmas but still have to do the whole thing for family and kids …
I was a nanny in NY when I was in my 20s and my ‘family’ was Jewish, I have learned so much from them and loved celebrating Chanukah. I can see both sides. Actually, the precious boy I cared for was adopted and his biological parents were Christians but my ‘family’ chose to show him both aspects of it, out of respect, I really admire that about them.
As for kids getting up early, here in the Gold Coast during the summer sun is up at 4.45am and mine awake about 10 minutes before that.
If we were all the same religion/belief the world would be a very weird (but peaceful) place.
I’m a total paradox – a Christmas loving Jew. I have a tree, a Christmas jumper, and an advent calendar (as if I don’t have enough chocolate all year round) I love the carols, the lights and of course, the public holidays too. The only way I could love Christmas even more is if there was chopped liver and bagels. True story.
I love Christmas – but not all the palaver around it. For me, it’s about the celebration of the birth of Christ (so yes, not excessive gifts, elfs and the rest – although Santa still features and decorations). And I love a good carol (but yes you probably have to grow up with it) Ding Dong merrily on high!
Lana
growing up a Christian and celebrating can I say that I still struggle with pretty much every single thing on this list!
The elf on the shelf thing is just bloody creepy as far as I am concerned and the tooth fairy struggles to come on time in this house so there is little chance that the elf would ever move! It would probably need to get a spinal injury and be in traction for a month every year!
“I am against forced merriment of any nature. Just call me the Grinch but I think that the expectation that because you are MEANT to have fun you will have fun on a certain day only creates false expectations that can never be met.
Celebrations are often better without family members. No offence to family members of my own *coughs loudly*” This just this! I just hate it all … Tonight I got informed that we are having 3 bleeping Christmas days!!! I don’t even want to do one!!!! One here that my darling sweet husband (said firmly through gritted teeth!) insists we must have or do something special for our little family of 5 (oh did I mention I have a broken toe and I am on crutches and as of 530 this afternoon in a bloody moon boot and not allowed to weight bare at all!) so who exactly is going to cook this elaborate special little feast with bloody black pudding (yes he’s scottish!) We will have a second on Boxing Day at my parents and a 3rd on 27th with his family – have I mentioned that I am recovering from a breakdown and well am only socialising with people one on one when I absolutely have to so you can imagine I am just about bursting out of my skin to spend three days with people and not just people flipping family who I would happily not spend time with and I am usually at home all day by myself so by the evening of the 27th I could be in the back of an ambulance going off to the funny farm! I have mentioned he doesn’t cook right?
Then one of our daughter’s pipes up with can we make christmas cookies me not really excited at this prospect (remember crutches an all that!) and by we she really means Mum because they usually cut out about 2 each and get bored so bugger off leaving me to cut out the rest of the dough and they are never interested in the decorating! So I say no let’s see what the weather brings because well it is bloody near impossible to bake butter cookies at anything over about 22degrees! And hubby says of course we can do that sounds lovely (ummmmmm who exactly is going to do this and when you work full-time and spend as much time away from here as possible and are playing cricket all day Saturday!)
Urgh where is the rock I really need to climb under it … and I will stay there until New Year I think.
Bahaha, You would never encourage anything that inspires kids to get up early. I can’t disagree with that! At this time of year I wish I was Jewish. I can see common sense in everything you’ve pointed out Lana. The thing I love about Christmas is that everything is closed and my kids are forced to spend time with me. Sad, but true.
As an atheist, I didn’t realise there was any significance to the lovely elffie who sits on my shelf. She is beautiful and sculptural and makes me smile. Who knew she was sending Morse code messages back to Santa. I will have to wave and smile more at her. Now I know of her special powers I might never put her away. Perhaps the overall wearing reindeer propped up all over the house are communicating with the Easter Bunny so should stay out until, oh let’s say February, when I will grudgingly tear down the chrissie tree and put away all the other tat.
I love a bit of silliness and eating food especially this year as ‘we’ have decided it’s gonna be ok to break the diet for a day, well with leftovers, maybe a week. Yippee to baked spuds and a slice of boozey fruit cake – yet to be made, I am not my Nanna after all.
Christmas carols turn me into a homicidal maniac. Ugh.