What's Christmas like for you?

[Dilbertian]

I never celebrated Christmas until meeting my dh. Never missed it, either, as we could enjoy as much we wanted of what was around us, anyway, without any pressure.

But dh is a non-Jewish atheist, and Christmas is his family festival. So we do a secular and relatively kosher Christmas. Presents and a slap-up feast, basically, and add to the decorations left up from Chanuka.

That said, he's making latkes right now, as we didn't manage to make them during Chanuka 😄 There's plenty of chocolate gelt left over, and dreidels don't go off...

This year we're planning a walk in the local forest, followed by a cosy afternoon on the sofa watching the new Tabby McTat adaptation with popcorn and babycinos!

In past years, DH has volunteered at one of the local mosques, which has a soup kitchen and drop-in for anyone who needs it. He's not going to be doing that this year, as the mosque is one of the ones that's been flagged up as promoting anti-Semitic hate speech. He wants to help out, but he doesn't feel comfortable going there anymore as a kippah-wearing Jew.

Four years ago on December 25, I found out I was expecting DD, so that makes the day a little bit special even though we don't celebrate Christmas.

I love Christmas now! Growing up my parents were quite strict so we never celebrated Christmas at all, it was just another day. Now we do all celebrate a secular Christmas, and do the whole big dinner with goose, crackers, tree, etc. I think actually Christmas has gotten more secular in general for everyone. I actually took my 1 year old to see Santa which was also my first time going lol. Plus when we’re already Jewish, what’s one more holiday.

(I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do as DS gets older or if I’ll do the whole Santa thing, because his birthday is in November and then of course there’s Chanukah already so - how many presents does he need. I think I’ll play it by ear.)

Actually you’ve just made me wonder, I bet latkes go really well with cranberry sauce

I am Pro Christmas 😁

My husband would have been Church of England but he is an atheist. However he still does Christmas as most do. So our children have always done Christmas too.

I am also very into easter, dwali or any other excuse to put up pretty decorations and have some fun

We just don't do any of the religious stuff associated with these celebrations

Inlaws brought my 3 year old a bunch of dolls for Christmas that look like prostitutes. So all good here 😳

I'm late to this thread but wanted to add.
We have a kosher turkey and all the (kosher) trimmings!
I love food...so...any excuse! We spend the day with family.

I have a relaxed approach to Christmas. Along the lines of 'any party going I am in'.

DDad is Jewish, we celebrated Christmas for my mother who was Christian. She converted to Judaism when I was about 30 and they have become very active in their reform synagogue and so don't celebrate in any way now. (They send us presents and ring us but that's it).

DH is CofE. So we do Christmas and I enjoy it. We also do most of the Jewish festivals. Basically the approach is we celebrate everything and throw ourselves into it. The Dcs will know both sides. But DH was brought up as a much stricter Christian with all the Church attendances that entailed which he found difficult, so now we just do whatever we fancy. Two Dcs 14 and 12. DS1 is veering towards the Christian tradition more and DS2 towards the Jewish side but that may develop in either direction (or embrace both in full) as they grow older.

And.,.. latkes with cranberry sauce and sour cream.... just saying....

I have heard someone say that before bit never tried it

We have an unopened spare jat of cranberry sauce from Christmas. So I know what I am going to try for lunch tomorrow now 😁

I have just found a piece of research that's been done on this by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research:

www.jpr.org.uk/reports/do-jews-uk-celebrate-christmas

A nice big research survey group. So should be fairly accurate

The results are not really surprising are they. If someone has a non Jewish partner that has been raised having Christmas then they are sure to still do it in some way. We could have guessed that one.

Interesting to see the percentage of religious people vs the percentage of non religious that celebrate

I wonder why a Christmas tree was used as a marker though. People can still do something for Christmas like have Christmas Dinner or give gifts to each other without a tree

Christmas growing up was just a bank holiday for me.. I wouldn't know what to do, and my dd hates me for it, she thinks she missed out big time. To me though, any occasion the family get together is lovely.