Merry Christmas.  Yes, I know it’s the 23rd- but most companies consider today and Monday to be holidays, since Christmas lands on a Sunday.

But, it’s your holiday.  It’s not my holiday. Nor have I ever considered celebrating.  So, I wish you the best holiday celebration ever!  (OK.  I know most of us are being subjected to a major winter storm- which means many of our loved ones won’t be able to travel and join us.   I guess we’re back to Pandemic Zooming…)

I should also explain that the fact that our family doesn’t celebrate the holiday doesn’t mean that we never created our own family traditions revolving about this day. For years, I’d haul my kids to the local Shoneys. One of the few places that stayed open on Christmas morning.   But, then, poof- Shoneys disappeared from the marketplace.

That forced us to find an alternative place for our brunch.  We chose a local diner, one that- to entice guests to patronize their establishment- they had their own Santa walking among the brunch crowd. Seeing the happiness in others made us smile.  (The food wasn’t bad, either.)

(When the kids were younger, we’d volunteer to work the night before (aka Christmas Eve) serving the homeless at a local shelter. Our efforts (and those of our fellow congregants) made it possible for the regular staff to celebrate their holiday night with their own families.)

But, today would have been Christmas.  So, 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.  We are not ones to essay Chinese restaurant visits.   After all, by dinnertime, the Chinese restaurant is pretty much the only sort of food establishment opened.  But, we keep kosher, so most of those places are off-limits to us.

This year, my son continues another tradition that he has developed.  He takes his mom over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, heading to the Eastern Shore, to celebrate at 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 afforded us the ability to enjoy the food at this celebration).  And, as a bonus, this 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.)

 

Me? I will pig out on streaming movies- Netflix, Paramount, Amazon, Acorn, Peacock, among others.  And, I will probably make popcorn a few times.  (You know, real kernels, air popped, a drop of margarine.  YUM!).  I might even add a sufganiya (a Chanuka-inspired donut) with black cherry filling to my snacking.  Or, make Sfardi versions (which don’t have the filling- but are replete with cinnamon and ginger.)

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 as the holiday date, 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.

 

Oh, yeah, is the fifth day of Chanuka.  Chag Sameach to those who partake!