Christmas always seems to be a funny time of year for me. My family usually spends it visiting some island, where you always wonder if they've even met anyone that doesn't celebrate Christmas, and if there's any point in responding Happy Chanukkah. With the recent debates of what greeters are allowed to say, I'm not sure how I feel about the Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas greeting. Personally, it just feels better to hear the former, but it feels weird to try to impose your constraints on the majority of people (much like the rabbi fighting the christmas trees), especially since Chanukkah isn't even a major holiday for Jews. And I think most Americans like hearing Merry Christmas, so who am I to complain about something that's just mildly unpleasant?
It's also a funny time of year because every Jew tries to figure out what to do with herself on the 24th and 25th. In Atlanta, a lot of the Jewish groups have a party on Christmas eve, which just seems counterintuitive. I mean, just as the majority of Americans do nothing on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it feels like that's what we should be doing during the Christian major holidays. Besides, there's always Chinese food and the movies if you must do something. This year in particular, the Jewish group that usually has a big young adult party invited non-Jews as well, which set forth a huge controversy. I mean, I understand wanting to hang out with like minded individuals during your own holiday, but who cares about someone else's??
Maybe some of those who felt strongly could explain this to me, but it just doesn't make sense...
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Ok, first of all, from my understanding the rabbi never fought the Christmas trees - he merely fought to have a menorah/chanukiah put up as well. It was the airports decision to take down the trees in response to his suit about the menorah - the lawsuit he promptly dropped.
I think it's one thing to educate people and another to force them to do something. Educate your employees that not everyone celebrates Christmas but don't mandate them that they can't say the word.
As for the what to do - I think the part on Christmas Eve is mostly since most people will not work tomorrow, though a significant of Jews (like myself) volunteer to do so to allow our Christian coworkers the opportunity to be with family. Inviting non-Jews - well, I've already told you my feelings on that. I don't get it when something is advertised as a Jewish party, though I'm sure someone will think that I'm being discriminatory.
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