Obviously lots do, whether they are invited by a friend or their spouse celebrates it. But what about a person that just celebrates it because they like the holiday: trees, decorations, ect.
My neighbor is an Orthodox Jew and she celebrates Christmas alone, she says she dose because Christmas really came from Pagans/Druids ect and that Jesus really has nothing to do with Christmas.
And why does it seem to be OK for Jewish people to celebrate Christmas but it isn't OK for non-Jewish people to celebrate Hanukah.
2007-12-05 17:37:55 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
Well, since it is a free country of course anyone can celebrate what they want. Do you mean in a politically correct fanshion?
Well, since your friend seems to know the History of Christmas I think she is OK. Because, yes, historically a lot of Christmas traditions came from Druids and the Roman holiday Saturnalia. I think as long as someone knows the whos, whats, whys, and wheres of what they are celebrating I think they are fine.
As to why it seems that it's ok for Jewish people to celebrate Christmas but non Jewish people can't celebrate Hanuka...I don't know.
2007-12-05 17:47:34 · answer #1 · answered by Magical name 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They can or can't, as they please. And neighbor is right, a lot of what we consider to be Xmas is indeed from pagan rituals, like the yule log, mistletoe, or more modern tradition, like Santa.
But the gift giving, the lights are also Christmas Christian tradition, to remember the Star, and the gifts of the Magi for the Christ Child.
And I think that anyone can celebrate whatever they want, as long as it is in the spirit, and not for a joke, or meaness. though I don't think Hanukah has a lot of meaning for anyone except someone of the Jewish faith, though it is a miracle that the oil lasted, and as such could be celebrated by anyone believing God had a hand in that.
2007-12-06 03:01:33 · answer #2 · answered by riversconfluence 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Couple of things:
1. Are you sure your neighbor is celebrating Christmas? Right now it's Chanukah, which features (among other things) lighting candles in a special candleholder called a menorah.
2. If your neighbor is *really* an Orthodox Jew then she is most certainly *not* celebrating Christmas. She may be Jewish, and she may celebrate Christmas as a non-religious tree-in-the-house time of year, but she is **not** truly Orthodox in her observance in this case.
2007-12-06 11:12:06 · answer #3 · answered by Mark S, JPAA 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Though much of Christmas's make-up and where it stems from are pagan, I would think that a bigger road block for a Jewish person to celebrate it would be the obvious CHRIST-mas signifying that the messiah has in fact come, thus giving way to the opinion that the Jews, still mentally living in the old testament, would be hypocritical in the celebrating of Christmas.
2007-12-06 01:47:11 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hanukkah isn't the Jewish Christmas. Hanukkah is the festival of Lights that God's People had for 8 days of Oil. and lamp after something happened. That's all I know so far anyhow I celebrate Hanukkah also because it's of God's Blessings.
2007-12-06 02:40:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Technically, a person can celebrate any holiday they want to. If a jewish person was married to a christian person and they had children, what is to stop them from celebrating both holidays? They may want the kids to understand both and chose which religion they wish to practice.
2007-12-06 01:41:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
So many religions have a holiday set for this time of year, that they all seem to run together for me.
I'm agnostic, and don't really celebrate Christmas as being the birthday of some guy who thought we oughta be nice to each other (nice thought, though). I just celebrate it as a time to enjoy the company of friends and family, and the 'spirit' of giving.
One thing I really don't care to hear, though, is any religious group claiming to "own" the season, especially since they've been hijacking it through history.
2007-12-06 01:42:12 · answer #7 · answered by Spacer C 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I don't see why we can't celebrate each other's holidays. I would have loved to celebrate Hanukkah this year. Unfortunately I have no one to celebrate it with. And I don't have a menorah.
2007-12-06 01:41:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I say celebrate what you want to celebrate....there is no law against either. Some people like to celebrate because of family tradition or because it is fun, not necessarily for religious purposes.
2007-12-06 01:40:58 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 0⤋
They can celebrate Yule, which honors an actual physical event in our lives (shortening of days stop). There's nothing religious about that.
2007-12-06 01:44:51 · answer #10 · answered by American Spirit 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋