Skip to main content

BlogHer: Chanukkah is Not the Jewish Christmas

Reading a 30 November 2010 BlogHer post by Melissa Ford about the commercialisation / Americanisation of the Jewish holiday of Chanukkah (I've copied her way of spelling it here), I couldn't agree more. It also got me thinking. The same thing is happening in my country, only here it's Christmas being Americanised instead of Chanukkah!

"Christmas is wonderful. I love your music and listen to it nonstop from Thanksgiving until the holiday (my favourite: "O Holy Night"). I love your candy. Sparkle lights are gorgeous, and I've been known to take extremely circuitous routes home in order to gawk at as many decorated houses as possible. It sounds lovely to give and receive gifts. But it's your holiday; it's not mine." 

Exactly! "But it's your holiday; it's not mine." Those words say it all for me.
While the author focuses on the Americanisation of a Jewish holiday, I read the article with my own country in mind. There's quite a big American influence here through television and movies, meaning the American way of celebrating Christmas is increasingly seen as normal here. What I mean by this is that Christmas, a Christian holiday, is becoming more of a secular / cultural holiday celebrated by many and less one only relevant to a specific religion celebrated only by people of that religion.

I don't have a problem with a religious holiday being a popular one. I don't have a problem with the decorations, the Christmas songs or the red and green decor everywhere. I don't even have a problem with the "let's all pretend we're happy, spend a fortune and enjoy a sort-of-secular holiday together" mentality. I simply have no wish to join in and celebrate a religious holiday not my own, no matter how secular it seems to have become! After all, I am not a Christian and have no wish to be. Celebrating the birth of Jesus makes as little sense to me as celebrating the birthdays of the Easter Bunny, John Connor or Santa Clause as I don't believe in them either!

So this is my plea to those who celebrate Christmas, for whatever reason. Please understand that I respect your beliefs / convictions and hope you enjoy your holiday. Please also respect my beliefs and convictions and understand I have no desire to celebrate your holiday. So: stop shoving Christmas down my throat!

Comments

Post a Comment

In case of spam, I will turn comment moderation on. Please don't make me!

Popular posts from this blog

The one who changed my thinking

There's a difference between the person who writes this blog, and the person I am when not writing this blog. In my personal life, I'm quiet, someone who doesn't like attention. There are two reasons for that: One: I often feel like people just don't get me. Being 'the outsider' is just easier. No strained interactions. No having to try to fit in. Two: When it comes to stuff I am passionate about, like sociology, psychology, politics and religion, my opinion differs from many around me. I am pro-Israel.  Something that doesn't seem very popular or mainstream. Especially since October 7th. Being pro-Israel, to me... That doesn't mean that I support, or agree with, every decision the Israeli government makes. Far from it. But do I support Israel's right to exist? Yes. Do I support Israel's right to defend itself? Yes. Do I feel that the world is against Israel? Also: Yes. On the 7th of October 2023, a large number of rather angry men entered towns ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917 - 2005) was a Russian American psychologist and professor known for developing the Ecological Systems Theory. He was generally regarded as one of the world's leading scholars in the field of developmental psychology. I learned about theorists such as Bronfenbrenner while studying towards my B.Ed. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory views the person as developing within a multi-layered system of relationships. Using the example of a child, the systems are: The Microsystem - One's family, classroom The Mesosystem - Two micro-systems in interaction (i.e. family and classroom) The Exosystem - External environments which indirectly influence development The Macrosystem - The larger socio-cultural context. Added later: The Chronosystem - The evolution of the external systems over time. Each system contains roles, norms and rules that can powerfully shape development. (Source: Wikipedia ) The Microsystem: The setting in which the indi...
Read more

New Orleans' Garden District

Anne Rice's old house on 1239 First Street and the setting of Mayfair Manor Photo Source: Flickr Looking up information about the house writer Anne Rice uses as the site for the family mansion in her Mayfair Witches series, I came across a lot of interesting information about that particular house as well as about the Garden District area of New Orleans. As Victoriana Magazine's website puts it: One of the world's most dazzling residential neighborhoods – containing a time capsule of historic southern mansions – is located in the Louisiana city of New Orleans.  The Garden District, a large square area bounded by Jackson Avenue, Louisiana Avenue, Magazine St. and St. Charles Ave, is the live oak tree-lined "American" sector of this southern city. ... The architecture of these historic houses is a fusion of classic styles with influence of Spanish, French, Italianate and English, as well as Greek Revival. These stately homes represent some of the best...
Post a Comment
Read more