From: kgatling@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Keith E Gatling)
Subject: Re: Celebrating Xmas and Hannakuh
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 07:26:07 EST

In article <4570303@hpfcdc.fc.hp.com> janem@hpfcdc.fc.hp.com (Jane Marcus)
writes:

   > This is why I posted a note asking for Hannukah ideas.  I don't
   > want to start the X-mas/Hannukah wars from last year, but I do
   > have a problem in my family with Hannukah being a bit too low
   > key.  When I was growing up, we celebrated Hannukah with a
   > menorah and a gift or 2.  That was it, my family wasn't
   > particularly religious and Hannukah isn't that big a holiday.

Please excuse me if I inadvertantly start up the Christmas/Hannukah wars
again (not being around to see them last year, I have no idea what started
them in the first place, so I'm acutely aware that even the most innocent
thing I say could set them off again), but I guess my question is that if
Hannukah isn't that big of a holiday in the first place, what's the
problem?  Seems to me (from all the things I've been hearing lately from
local Jewish leaders trying to educate us goyim...and quite a few Jews
too...that Hannukah *isn't* the Jewish equivilant of Christmas, and was a
relatively minor holiday until very recently, when parents didn't want their
kids left out of all the December gift giving) that your family's
celebration of it was probably right on target.

   > Now I have married a man with Christian upbringing and we
   > celebrate both Hannukah and X-mas.  The problem is that my
   > husband's family is incredibly into X-mas (my kids get a
   > bizillion gifts, to be put under the X-mas tree for X-mas
   > morning) and with all the X-mas hype, my kids find Hannukah to
   > be a little ho-hum. This year especially, with Hannukah crossing
   > over into X-mas, it may prove difficult to maintain interest in
   > Hannukah.  So I'd also like to get more suggestions on how to
   > make Hannukah a special time for my kids.  Otherwise, I wonder
   > if they wouldn't just assume blow off Hannukah altogether.

Hmm...now since I seem to recall that the story behind Hannukah is that some
hairball from Greece or Persia came in and tried to destroy Judaism, and
that after the Maccabees and their followers defeated this guy there was
only enough oil left for one day in the temple, which miraculously lasted
for eight days until they could purify more, you could conceivably get your
kids' interest by explaining to them that if not for Hannukah, there might
not have been a Christmas.  But I'm not sure if you really need to try to
elevate what was a relatively minor holiday in your tradition to the level
of one that *is* a major one in your husband's tradtion just to feel some
sort of cultural parity.  No flame here, just my innocent opinion.  In fact,
maybe it would be good for your kids to see some holidays where the emphasis
isn't on the gifts, and where what gifts there are are low key.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Keith E Gatling                                  kgatling@mailbox.syr.edu *
*          Opinions?  I've got plenty of them.  Just ask my wife!           *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Newsgroups: misc.kids