Happy Hanukkah!

I had enough holiday free to take the afternoons off from work during Hanukkah, (barring Monday, which I had to rearrange for reasons I won't trouble you with) so I've been mostly enjoying a nice rest  and feeling like a part-timer. I always feel odd this time of year, when we're about a quarter of the way through the Jewish year and then, suddenly, there's the Gregorian New Year to deal with. My family and I have never been big on New Year (unlike myself until recently, and my father who I recently got back in touch with, my mother, step-father and half-sister have never been big drinkers generally), but obviously, the world around us counts the years differently, and for many of those who do indulge in alcohol, New Year can be an excuse for a big bash. Indeed, even in Israel, in order to keep up with the rest of the world, the Gregorian calendar is used in daily life, with the Hebrew calendar being restricted to fixing the times and dates for prayer, festivals and yahrzeits (the ceremony with which a person marks, each year, the anniversary of the death of a relative), and events such as Gregorian New Year are increasingly popular. I recently blogged about the yahrtzeit of Yitzhak Rabin, and many Israelis now commemorate his death not on the official date, fixed according to the Hebrew calendar, but on November 4, the date of his death on the Gregorian calendar.

And then, of course, there is the so-called December dilemma, also known as Christmas. I find it ironic and sad that Jews feel so much pressure, in western countries, to celebrate Christmas even when, unlike in my case, there is no family connection to deal with. I can well understand the custom  of giving children presents at Chanukah (indeed the giving of Chanukah gelt, or money, was a Jewish tradition long before we started communing with our Christian compatriots) - though I'd question whether we should allow it to be affected as much by consumerism as Christmas is - but is it really necessary for Jewish parents to allow their children to attend carol services or sit on Santa's knee? Again, it is ironic that Chanukah, which is supposed to be a celebration of a Jewish victory against outside forces who wanted us to assimilate (though the rabbis would have you believe it's all about a miracle) occurs either, as this year, before Christmas, or sometimes coinciding with Christmas (Day) itself.

And then, of course, as I have already alluded to, there is the problem of what to do if part of your family (most commonly the parents of a convert, or the in-laws of someone who married a convert) celebrate Christmas not because they are assimilationist, but because they are at least nominally Christian. I have also heard that immigrants of non-Jewish and non-Christian background, and their descendants, are increasingly celebrating a secular Christmas, though suspect that at least for some, even celebrating it religiously does not pose the same dilemma as it does for Jews. In my case, my parents, neither of whom are Jewish, are divorced and live far apart, so I am forced to spend one or other of Christmas and New Year with first one, then the other. This year I will be spending Christmas Day and hopefully, the weekend leading up to it with my mother and step-father, and new Year with my father. Next year, it will probably be the reverse, though I hope at some point to spend 25 and 26 December at Limmud, the annual Jewish educational conference. 

One thing's for sure though, December will never be boring! Whatever festival you're celebrating this month, have a happy festive season!