Why is it OK for Jews to display Hanukkah decorations but not OK for Christians to display Jesus for Christmas

Question

in Public schools and at work?

Answer 1

It's a sad thing. I remember when it used to be OK. Even thou Christians are the majority in the US, we need to be considerate to other religions. For example yesterday I was watching the Disney channel. Never in my life do I ever remember them talking about the Christian religion, But they went ahead and played a movie about a all Jewish school basketball team where all they talked about was the Jewish Belief and Hanukkah. That my Friend is messed up.

Answer 2

As many have indicated, I also have never, ever been to a public school that did not have christmas decorations, but plenty that did not have chanukah ones. As for work, I am in the military, and in all the years I have been in, I have yet to see an office with a Chanukah decoration of any kind, but christmas is everywhere... the only work places where I have been with no christmas decorations AND Chanukah ones are places where only Jews work, and even then, not very often. So you would have to site a situation where this has occurred to even make this a valid question.

Answer 3

Both should be displayed side by side. Without Jesus Christ and Judaism there would be any Christianity or Christmas.

The holiday was called Hanukkah meaning "dedication" because it marks the re-dedication of the Temple after its desecration under Antiochus IV. Spiritually, Hanukkah commemorates the Miracle of the Oil. According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days - which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate new oil.

Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה), also known as the Festival of Lights or Festival of Rededication, is an eight-day Jewish holiday that starts on the 25th day of Kislev, which may be in December, late November, or, while very rare in occasion, early January (as was the case for the Hanukkah of 2005–2006). The festival is observed in Jewish homes by the kindling of lights on each of the festival's eight nights, one on the first night, two on the second, and so on.

Jesus Christ was not born in the cold month of December.

Although it's not impossible, it seems unlikely. The Bible does not specify a date or month. One problem with December is that it would be unusual for shepherds to be "abiding in the field" at this cold time of year when fields were unproductive. The normal practice was to keep the flocks in the fields from Spring to Autumn. Also, winter would likely be an especially difficult time for pregnant Mary to travel the long distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem (70 miles).

"A more probable time would be late September, the time of the annual Feast of Tabernacles, when such travel was commonly accepted. Thus, it is rather commonly believed (though not certain) that Jesus' birth was around the last of September. The conception of Christ, however, may have taken place in late December of the previous year. Our Christmas celebration may well be recognized as an honored observation of the incarnation of 'the Word made flesh' (John 1:14).

The probability is that this mighty angel, leading the heavenly host in their praises, was Michael the archangel; this occasion was later commemorated by the early church as Michaelmas ('Michael sent'), on September 29, the same as the date of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. It would have at least been appropriate for Christ to have been born on such a date, for it was at His birth that 'the Word was made flesh and dwelt (literally tabernacled) among us' (John 1:14).

This would mean, then, that His conception took place in late December. Thus, it might well be that when we today celebrate Christ's birth at what we call Christmas (i.e., 'Christ sent'), we are actually celebrating His miraculous conception, the time when the Father sent the Son into the world, in the virgin's womb. This darkest time of the year--the time of the pagan Saturnalia, and the time when the sun (the physical 'light of the world') is at its greatest distance from the Holy Land--would surely be an appropriate time for God to send the spiritual 'light of the world' into the world as the 'Savior, which is Christ the Lord' (Luke 2:11).

Answer 4

Do you realize that Hannakah decorations are part of your own Christian heritage? So they are also your decorations, too?

Either way - at work is a private place and can display anything they want to.

In public schools or any other place that is paid for with public tax dollars, no religious symbols should be shown unless ALL religions are accounted for and used in a lesson to teach about world religions and cultures. There is seperation of church and state for a reason, so there is no debate about which religion gets to have their symbols up over another.

Answer 5

I don't know... but honestly, I haven't seen this. Around here, if they take one down, they all come down. BUT! No one around here has had to take their holiday decorations down (and I've not heard of such a thing in the media either)... All of the public schools here have decorations. My work place decorated a little, which is more than it usually does lol

I keep hearing about all of this - like people saying Wal-Mart is making it's employees say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, yet the guy who runs Wal-Marts is a devout Christian and said in the news that he would never do such a thing. I think a majority of this stuff is made up by people who just don't like equal freedoms for other religions. Maybe sometimes it does happen, but it's not happening on the scale people are claiming it is.

Answer 6

The reasoning (which I do not believe is valid) is this: Hanukkah is not a "religious" holiday; it's the commemoration of the Jews' rededication of the Temple after it was defiled by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and the miracle of the menorah burning 8 days with only 1 days' supply of oil. This is the same reasoning that permits Christmas trees on government property, since it's not specifically a religious symbol. On the other hand, a "baby Jesus" in a manger is reasoned to be a religious symbol.

Peace.

Answer 7

the only reason it is a problem where i am is because when it comes to christmas it is overly shown and overly in your face about it. every where you turn you see a jesus, a netivity scene, santa claus, while for channukah you see things like a star or a manorah and these things dont make one say (they're pushing me) and jews dont like todo to much decorations anyways because it ruins a holiday when it starts to become about the decorations. and possibly another factor could be that people want christmas to be the way it started out to be. they want it to be about jesus being born and they want to honor that. they dont want to honor a tree and santa. so maybe people just want a little more spirituality back into the whole christmas thing so it bothers them when they see trees and santa everywhere when it really has nothing todo with christmas. and if you look around now there are bumper stickers that say put the christ back in christmas! (i am jewish but i still get it)

Answer 8

I've never seen Hanukkah decorations in public places where Christmas trees weren't also on display. EVER. But one of my coworkers does have a huge freakin' picture of Jesus hanging in his office and no one has asked him to take it down yet.

Blessed Yule everyone!
)O(

Answer 9

It's perfectly ok.
There is an attack on Christmas here in America and on Hannakuh (sp? sorry if i'm misspelling things). Anything of faith around Christmas time is slowly being filtered out of our society.

For example, the an airline had Christmas trees up and a Jewish Rabbi said he wanted a Menorah (sp?) as well and the airline, instead of putting up a Menorah, took down the Christmas trees.

Answer 10

I haven't seen this at all but you must realize that Hanukkah is not a religious holiday..it's about freedom. Displaying jesus is highly religious.