It's Not as Hard to be a Jew on Christmas as You May Have Thought

Tis the season to be jolly.  However, sometimes being Jewish during the holiday season can get me down a little.  Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy my religious beliefs, but when Hanukkah doesn't coincide with Christmas, it feels like a bit of a let down.  Every year when Christmas rolls around I find myself alone and wishing things were a bit different.

This year, I am taking matters into my own hands.

I have made this holiday season one where I can celebrate the lights, the decorations and the traditions that make me happy without negating any of my beliefs or minimizing the beliefs of others.

Hol-Decs 2013

(1) I put up Hol-Decs (a patent pending abbreviation for holiday decorations) in my apartment.  I strung blue and gold ornaments onto tension rods and put them up in my doorways.  I also got a blue tinsel table-top tree and decorated it with silver and gold bows and lights.

(2) I baked cookies.  I was invited to holiday cookie baking at a friends house.  I made a couple sugar cookies that were shapes that didn't involve any specific holiday.  I'd never baked cookies before.  Seriously.  I tried once to make chocolate chip cookies from the recipe on the Nestle Tollhouse bag and I royally fucked them up...so I don't bake.  But I made an acorn, a heart and a maple leaf.  Yay Canada!(?)

Canada "Holiday" Cookie

(3) Though Hanukkah is over, I just received my Menorah in the mail, so I decided to light candles and celebrate Pseudo-Hanukkah.  It brings a little bit of Judaism to my non-denominational holiday celebrations.

(4) I am going to a Christmas brunch and a Christmas dinner with friends and/or friends families.  It feels crazy good to be welcomed with open arms into something as family filled as Christmas.  I'm always very appreciate of people including me in things that are usually reserved for family.  It gives me the feels.

Celebrating the Festival
of Lights a second time

(5) In order to not lose my traditional Jewish celebration of the holiday season, I have made plans to go to the movies on Christmas Eve day.  I will be seeing a double-feature, I think.  This is up in the air because as a lonely Jew on Christmas, I have no where I NEED to be.

What do you do for the holidays?  Any suggestions of things I should add to my list to make my holiday break (2 days off of work?  Hell yes!) even more full of joy and cheer?

END.