Merry Christmas.  The last one of the decade. To you.  Not me.  It’s not my holiday. Nor have I ever considered celebrating.

Not celebrating doesn’t mean that we don’t have our own family traditions revolving about this day. For years, I’d haul my kids to the local Shoneys. One of the few places open on Christmas morning.   But, then, Shoneys disappeared from the marketplace.  Forcing us to switch to a local diner- and to entice guests, they had their own Santa walking among the brunch crowd. Seeing the happiness in others made us smile.  (The food wasn’t bad, either.)

We’d already worked the night before serving the homeless at a local shelter. Our efforts (and those of our fellow congregants) made it possible for the staff to get their holiday night to share with their own families.

After our breakfast, we’d head home and gather up the rest of the tribe to enjoy a movie. We’d pretty much have the whole theater to ourselves, so we could kibitz and laugh and enjoy the movie.

I should also add that we don’t participate in another (less religious) Jewish tradition.  There are no Chinese restaurant visits.   After all, by dinnertime, the Chinese restaurant is pretty much the only sort opened.  But, we keep kosher, so these places are off-limits to us.

This year, my son continued another tradition.  He took his mom over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, heading to the Eastern Shore, to celebrate with my ex-wife’s family Christmas celebration. I am guessing he brought a tuna fish sandwich, since I won’t be cooking the [kosher] turkey (which let us participate in the celebrations).  It also happens to be my step-son’s birthday. (Happy birthday, Matt! He was excited once he joined our family, since the celebration of his birthday was no longer subsumed by the Christmas rush.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHLd7HQfZfA

Me? I am heading off to the kosher grocery store to stock up on some goodies.  Especially now that Shoppers Food Warehouse, a local chain that catered to all its clientele with good food and low prices (including kosher!), has been taken over by United Natural Foods Inc (UNFI), an anti-union shop that supplies Whole Foods.  You see, UNFI terminated the unionized grocery stores, hoping to keep the warehouse non-union.  (By the way, UNFI gave the local store here two week’s notice on 6 December- after telling them they’d be good until May- they were out of jobs.  How’s that for Christmas spirit?) In my mind, yet another reason to avoid Amazon owned Whole Foods- they need to pick better suppliers.

For all of you? I wish you the very best of what you need, for health and contentedness, to be surrounded by those you love and revel in same the whole year through.

(By the way… You notice how you celebrate Christmas EVE????? And New Year’s EVE???? As opposed to your other holidays that are only day long celebrations? Well, when the 25th of December was chosen, it related to a replacement for the 25th of Kislev (Chanuka). And, just like Chanuka is the Festival of Lights, where we want to bring joy, light, and happiness to the world- so is Christmas. Of course, ALL Jewish holidays (from Shabat to our New Year’s [Rosh Hashana], from Chanuka to the three festivals) ALL start in the evening. Because the Supreme Being decreed- it was evening, it was morning…one day. So, our “days” start the evening before.)

And, while I opened with the traditional Merry Christmas-  just to spite TheDonald- Happy Holidays!

Today is the third day of Chanuka.  Chag Sameach to those who partake!

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