BUT INSTEAD, here are some pictures from our intercultural Christmas/Chranukah! I decided that I am going to teach C what a menorah is, and how to play dreidel, and we will have some menorahs out with our christmas decorations. Also this year, we lied and told her Santa came down the chimney to give her presents (this is the first year she's old enough to even understand what that means). We even took her to see Santa at the mall to ask for presents (an elephant- she got a stuffed one and a plastic one) and left out milk and cookies for Santa. I went back and forth about whether or not to do the Santa thing, but I think I'd rather she get to experience the classic Santa thing, and then when she figures it out we'll teach her about giving gifts but not taking credit for it, and also about how sometimes adults lie. We also did stocking stuffers for the first time (Or "Santa Socks" as C calls them), and included a bunch of chanukah stuff my parents sent us (gelt, plastic dreidels full of jelly beans, more chocolate, chanukah stickers) as stocking stuffers.
So while my parents would be and probably are horrified by this, I am happy with how we are incorporating both holidays together and keeping the stuff I actually like and having some Jewish cultural elements to our winter holiday celebrating. Maybe one of these years I'll even make latkes. Not this year though. Later today my orthodox brother is coming to visit our house for the first time ever, so I need to go clean some more. :)
I love how thoughtful and positive you are about the traditions you wish to pass down to your daughter. I hope you have a joyful season!
ReplyDeleteEden, first, I have followed your writings for a while now. I come from a Jewish but agnostic household, who happened to marry someone whose family is somewhat right wing. I have made many inroads, exposing the hypocrisy and influencing a number of members to abandon kashruth, leaving the TV running on Shabbat, in one case, bathing regularly (he believed that mikvah on Friday afternoon was sufficient-told him his body odor could knock a buzzard off a shit-wagon.) My MIL and FIL were not pleased, but in 40 years I wore them down. (I beleive they were the only conservative family in the shul to keep Kosher). Last night, we received news that would have blown the family apart years ago. My daughter is engaged. The goldeneh kindt. The valedictorian of her jewish school, the Doctor, the ace student, is marrying out of the faith. The orthodox ends of the family have not said word one, any objection will be met with a dirty word or two. Does not bother me at all, he is good people from a good family. I refuse to ascribe goodness just because someone is Jewish. My niece married the young Jewish Doctor. Her parents were overjoyed. Nine years later they find that the groom took his mistress along on the honeymoon and planted her at a hotel down the street. He is now married to his mistress. So much for the good Jewish boy.
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