Happy Chriskwanzaramadanikah! The holidays are upon us and/or in some cases have passed us by with more threatening in the wings. Without exaggeration or millions of painful anecdotes, we can start another spending like there’s no tomorrow, fight over parking spaces and eat until we’re gorged baccanale. Boy, am I ever excited!
Let’s examine the Pagan Holidays. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays naturally. Pagans, Druids, Witches and Warlocks demonstrate a bon vivant lifestyle. Talk about your original hippies. Add lava lamp, a little patchouli incense and lots of candy corn and it’s all groovy.
Thanksgiving ruins whatever Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, Jenny Craig, Weight Watcher, diet you may be planning or on and yet who can resist a piece of Lindy’s Cheesecake, with six pounds of cream cheese, a la mode sprinkled with m&m’s? I’m just saying.
Christmas moved from religious significance to economic ambivalence a while ago, although retailers, the truly faithful, Jews for Jesus and those people who hang, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season,”signs in their front yard, might disagree. We Jews, feeling left out, took our oil lamps, and joined in as well. African Americans added Kwanza to the mix and as long as we can sell a few more toys and gifts, I’m sure there are a few more holidays/religions/sects we can add as well.
My family rarely celebrated any holiday, much less Hanukah. I seemed to have enough toys and friends and things to do, that I didn’t miss either Hanukah or Christmas. My father lost his faith a long time ago. He never told me why, but I think it was because his father died at an early age. My mother never had the chance to celebrate any holiday or coming of age ceremony. She spent her early life hiding and learning to cross herself so she could blend in with the French family that hid her from the Nazis.
My wife’s family enjoyed the dichotomy of being Jewish while celebrating both holidays equally. They claimed their Jewish heritage and still covered trees with ornaments and planted presents beneath them. It seems an odd match, but one that this particular family balanced with aplomb. Maybe they saw the holidays as they should be seen, as a celebration of family and love.
And yet, now with two young children, I find myself celebrating both Hanukah and Christmas yearly as well. We’re doing some pretty heavy tap dancing explaining why we celebrate Christmas, yet don’t have a tree or that Jews don’t go around singing Christmas Carols.
Hanukah Harry doesn’t hold a candle to centuries of St. Nick and his jolly old tummy. I’d be willing to bet that some of his belly came from downing a few potato latkes though.
My favorite holiday now is any holiday that brings joy and awe into my little children’s eyes. Whether it be a toy, a song, an acorn from a tree, a kiss from their parents or an outrageous story. I don’t care if they believe in Santa, Hanukah Harry, the tooth fairy or even a deity that their cantankerous, agnostic, atheist, wannabe Hippy Father finds lacking in logic or caring. Even more though, I wish for you the things that make you the most happy (at the best price available).
May your faith give you hope and strength and your family provide you with love, peace and courage. In other words, “Have a Groovy Life People.”
Oh, yeah, and Happy Holidays too!