Jewish Phobia About (Secular) Christmas?

[jwoodie]

I have never understood the lengths to which some Jewish parents try to shield their children from any acknowledgment of secular Christmas traditions, such as Christmas trees and Santa Claus. Ironically, their attempts to replace these traditions with Hanukkah seems to merely commercialize this (otherwise minor?) Jewish holiday.

Secular Christmas traditions certainly have religious roots, but Christmas itself has its roots in a pre-Christian celebration of the Winter solstice, just as Easter Bunny traditions can trace their roots to pagan Spring festivals. I would be interested to know why these seeming benign celebrations are so assiduously shunned. Is there a specific religious prohibition against recognition of non-Jewish holidays? If so, why is the Pilgrim celebration of Thanksgiving apparently acceptable?

I would appreciate any explanations regarding this subject.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

Dunno. Jewish families I have known generally celebrated both.

 

[irosie91]

I have never understood the lengths to which some Jewish parents try to shield their children from any acknowledgment of secular Christmas traditions, such as Christmas trees and Santa Claus. Ironically, their attempts to replace these traditions with Hanukkah seems to merely commercialize this (otherwise minor?) Jewish holiday.

Secular Christmas traditions certainly have religious roots, but Christmas itself has its roots in a pre-Christian celebration of the Winter solstice, just as Easter Bunny traditions can trace their roots to pagan Spring festivals. I would be interested to know why these seeming benign celebrations are so assiduously shunned. Is there a specific religious prohibition against recognition of non-Jewish holidays? If so, why is the Pilgrim celebration of Thanksgiving apparently acceptable?

I would appreciate any explanations regarding this subject.

I am a jew-----born and bred-----I have rubbed shoulders with ALL kinds of jews---from absolutely secular to absolutely fanatically religious----and never noticed a
Christmas tree phobia. I have also rubbed shoulders with various kinds of
Christians--------in whose households there seemed to be -----here and there----
some one grumpy over such things as ----"that damned jewish lit up candelabra"
I had a playmate with whom I attended sunday school at her protestant church
several times who REFUSED TO SING "GO DOWN MOSES" at school because
it is a 'JEWISH SONG" (???) I have lots of other example of Christian
jew-phobia. I do not need any explanations -----------I grew up with it and got
used to it

 

[jwoodie]

I have never understood the lengths to which some Jewish parents try to shield their children from any acknowledgment of secular Christmas traditions, such as Christmas trees and Santa Claus. Ironically, their attempts to replace these traditions with Hanukkah seems to merely commercialize this (otherwise minor?) Jewish holiday.

Secular Christmas traditions certainly have religious roots, but Christmas itself has its roots in a pre-Christian celebration of the Winter solstice, just as Easter Bunny traditions can trace their roots to pagan Spring festivals. I would be interested to know why these seeming benign celebrations are so assiduously shunned. Is there a specific religious prohibition against recognition of non-Jewish holidays? If so, why is the Pilgrim celebration of Thanksgiving apparently acceptable?

I would appreciate any explanations regarding this subject.

I am a jew-----born and bred-----I have rubbed shoulders with ALL kinds of jews---from absolutely secular to absolutely fanatically religious----and never noticed a
Christmas tree phobia. I have also rubbed shoulders with various kinds of
Christians--------in whose households there seemed to be -----here and there----
some one grumpy over such things as ----"that damned jewish lit up candelabra"
I had a playmate with whom I attended sunday school at her protestant church
several times who REFUSED TO SING "GO DOWN MOSES" at school because
it is a 'JEWISH SONG" (???) I have lots of other example of Christian
jew-phobia. I do not need any explanations -----------I grew up with it and got
used to it

I did not mean any disrespect by the term "phobia." I was just interested in the reasons some Jewish parents go out of their was to shield their children from any Christmas celebrations. For example, they have removed their children from holiday parties when Santa starts giving out gifts.

I'm sorry you decided to take offense at this question rather than answer it.