Thinking About the Holidays

So, with all the busyness going on with preparing for Christmas, everyone’s thinking Christmas is the holliest, jolliest time of year.

But here’s what I’m thinking:

I’m thinking, I’m more thankful than ever to be Jewish during the Christmas season. I just spent a jittery month existing on leftover Halloween candy, and then went right into the few weeks of nightly sleeping sickness from various turkey-based leftovers. I don’t need an even bigger holiday now, I need to catch up for a while. Luckily, when you’re Jewish you can pick and choose what parts of Christmas you want to participate in. Christmas pageants, going caroling in 20 degree weather? No thanks, we’ll be being Jewish that night. Christmas party with open bar? Sure, we’ll be there with Jingle Bells on, and even take care of the star for the tree.

I’m thinking that Christmas is an odd sort of holiday, what with being based on Jesus, who was a nice Jewish boy by all accounts. So, at the Second Coming, won’t you guys feel a bit slighted when, at the Christ household, they are lighting the menorah, instead of a tree, and will most likely be asleep, all snug in their beds, by the time you’re bundling up to leave for Midnight Mass?

But, most of all, I’m thinking we’re lucky that our holiday lasts for eight days. So, when we see “Happy Hanukkah” on TV, and realize it began the night before, we can still get our cards out to everyone before it’s over. That’s good news, because any more guilt than we’ve already got from our mothers could push any nice Jewish girl right over the edge.