Christmas/Chanukah

A bit late, but there was such excitement that Christmas Day was also the first night of Chanukah that I wanted to look at it more closely. The holidays are really not so different.

Chrismukah is the term that has been used to identify this occurrence, taken from the TV show “The O.C.” where the character Seth Cohen created the holiday to represent his upbringing in an interfaith household. The event is so rare because, in the simplest terms, the Jewish calendar is based on lunar-solar while the Christian calendar is based on just solar.

My two sons live in interfaith homes, as do I, and along with their Christmas trees they like to light the Menorah. As Jewish holidays start in the evening the lighting of a single candle marks the first day of Chanukah. There is an extra candle in the center of the Menorah called the Shamash. It is used to light another candle each evening for the 8 days of Chanukah. In this image there is also a dreidel, a top spun in a gambling game where children play for “Chanukah gelt” coins, whether real or chocolate wrapped in gold foil.

We understand that Jesus of Nazareth was born Jewish and eventually Christianity drew away from Judaism. In a study published in the Biblical Archeological Review, Theodore H. Feder writes about a singular painting that dramatically illustrates the split of early Christianity and Judaism, Robert Campin’s “Marriage of the Virgin” (circa 1420-1430) in the Prado in Madrid.: “…the painting in question purports to show how the physical edifice of the Church literally encompassed the physical edifice of the Synagogue while sharing its foundations. The work is a marvel of architectural iconography, with many spiritual and religious connotations. Throughout, there is an unusual recognition of the debt Christianity owes to Judaism, even if its posture is one of supersession.”

Religion is, of course, a fascinating subject and I even took a course in it in college.

Too often we think about the differences when there are so many similarities. When the holidays of Chanukah and Christmas fall on the same day it just accentuates the fact that they are both celebrations of light at a time of the shortest, and hence darkest, days of the year. In Europe the practice dates to pre-Christian days and many other cultures have similar observances at this time of year. Priests and Rabbis have used this rare concurrence of dates to emphasize how both of their faiths celebrate the presence of God's light during darkness.

On a more secular note, I have a personal problem with presents. It seems very forced at holiday time. As an older person I feel I am lucky enough to have just about all the things I need or want and I really do not need another one. For the little folks toys will be opened excitedly and forgotten by the next day. The only difference is that for the Jews the presents are spread over eight days, one each night, while at Christmas they come all at once. As a child I was jealous of all those Christmas presents but looking back as an adult I think maybe spread out was better a single gift each night of the holiday, so that each gift could be appreciated. On the other hand, if there is one present you don’t like in a large group you quickly forget it, but if there is one unfortunate present among eight the disappointment can be profound and memorable!