25th December is a date that has gained immense popularity worldwide. With globalization, the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated with tremendous joy and the same spirit worldwide as a Christian would.
Just like every other person certain Jews living in areas where Christmas time is a celebratory time would also go on to decorate a Christmas tree in their houses, attend Christmas pageants, and sing Christmas songs. Nonetheless, Christmas is not a Jewish holiday but why don’t Jews celebrate Christmas?
Christmas is celebrated in Christianity as the death and birth of Jesus Christ are an essential aspect of Christian soteriology and theology but in Judaism, these events have no significance in Jewish theology, therefore, there has never been a need to celebrate this holiday.
For Jews, the 25th of December usually marks the beginning of their 8-day-long festival known as Hanukkah although it is not always the case as the dates might change slightly as Hanukkah is celebrated according to the Jewish calendar—25th Kislev.
1. Jews during Christmas in Europe
Where all over the world December 25th is a merry time but for most Jews this day is a time when they prefer to stay back within the walls of their home playing board games with loved ones to stay away from being attacked on the streets.
Generally, at any other time of the year, you would find pious Jews in a synagogue praying but not for a Jew who has been living in Central and Eastern Europe for some time now.
But the story of the Western European Jews is slightly different. For the Jewish elite, the symbols of holidays such as the Christmas tree meant the secularization of society and they even posed in front of the Christmas trees with their extended families.
However, there have been studies and surveys of instances of Jewish people who even grew up in households that celebrated Christmas giving it up later in their life to celebrate their traditions.
2. Why don’t Jews Celebrate Christmas?
There are several reasons why Jews reject celebrating Christmas and these are mostly related to their differences in beliefs. Let us break them down for a clear and easier understanding of, why don’t Jews celebrate Christmas.
2.1. 1st Reason
The prime reason is that Jews don’t see Jesus Christ as the Messiah. For they believe that Jesus Christ did not fulfill many prophecies that he was supposed to, which is why he cannot be the one who had been prophesied.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ will fulfill the incomplete prophecies during his second coming which is a belief that Jews don’t believe in.
The Duties of the Biblical Messiah included returning Jews to Israel, building a third temple, beginning an era of world peace, and the spread of universal knowledge of the God of Israel.
2.2. 2nd Reason
Another reason for the Jews to reject Christmas day is Jesus’s virgin birth and he did not have natural parents according to the Jews their messiah was supposed to be born out of their biological parents.
2.3. 3rd Reason
Violation of the Torah, the Jewish holy book, is also a cause behind the question of why don’t Jews celebrate Christmas. They do not follow the holy bible but the Torah which was violated by Jesus once by performing miracles and the Jewish basis doesn’t rely on magical claims even a bit.
2.4. 4th Reason
The contradiction between Jewish theology and Christian theology is yet another barrier as to why don’t Jews celebrate Christmas. Roman Catholics put their faith in God the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit which is not the case with the Jewish people who accept God as one and reject the idea of the Holy Trinity.
3. What Holidays Do Jewish People Celebrate?
3. 1. Hanukkah
Jews celebrate the 8-day-long festival known as Hanukkah whose dates overlap with that of Christmas mostly. It is a minor Jewish holiday unlike the major Jewish festivals the Passover and Yom Kippur.
Hanukkah celebrates the historic victory of Jewish Maccabees over Judea, with Antiochus Epiphanes IV being in control of Syria then.
He decimated the Temple in Jerusalem and a death penalty was established for people who studies the Torah, which is the divine revelation to Israel, and included the initial 5 books of the Hebrew Bible. It was the time when the Jews took back the temple
The holiday is celebrated with the singing of special prayers of the Jewish faith and just like the Christians the Jews light candles in a special candelabra known as Hanukkiah or Menorah continuously for eight nights.
Although Christmas and this Jewish celebration have certain familiarity in their way of celebration. The Jewish households also follow the tradition of gift-giving, lighting candles, and offering special prayers.
Yet it is not the Jewish equivalent of Christmas and they share differences but over the years it has gained importance as a Jewish Christmas and most American Jews created a tradition through the Christmas mirror.
3. 2. Passover
This Jewish festival marks the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. It originated in the Torah, this holiday celebrates liberation and freedom and the story of the exodus is appreciated not just by the Jews but by many faiths in the whole world.
Holding the Seder which is a feast is the main event of Passover and is observed on the first night or the second by some Jewish communities, with it the book of Exodus and related writings are read in a set order.
3. 3. Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur means “the day of atonement”-Jewish year’s holiest day, falls on the tenth day of Tishri, the civil year’s first month, and the seventh month of the lunisolar Hebrew calendar (September and October in the Gregorian calendar).
It is the emotional climax of the high holy days of the Jewish faith followed by Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. It is the day when God decides the fate of every Jewish person hence they ask for forgiveness for past sins, and make amends. It is marked by observing a 25-hour fast and special religious service
4. Christmas in Israel
Israel has recently with the influx of tourists adopted the practice of sporting decorated streets for Christmas. The word recently has been emphasized here since the local people do not celebrate Christmas in Israel because most of the Israeli population is Jewish.
On the contrary, Christmas in Jerusalem would be a time to enjoy since it is celebrated beautifully there with decorations all over the streets along with various Christmas services.
5 . Evolving over Time
The vast majority of American Jews who had been living in the country understood the fact that their children might need to be able to celebrate Christmas to be able to embrace their identities of being an American as well as their Jewish heritage.
However, over the years the following generations of Jewish Americans according to surveys and studies have seen that the Christmas trees were given up and new ways were being adopted for their assimilation into American society.
A 1993 study by a Stanford professor also showed that around 82% of the Jewish Population no longer sported a Christmas tree.
6. Jewish Mitzvah Season
The phrase time heals everything is a very practical one. Since, as time passes things tend to get better as they heal and we can see that in the case of many Jews around the world.
Who now if not exactly go on celebrating Christmas, tend to take part in the merriment around them as over time their wounds healed and they understood the importance of intermingling.
A very prominent way of proclaiming their Jewish identity for many American Jews is the performing “Mitzvot”- charitable deeds that Jews even expect their Christian neighbors to carry out in the spirit of Christmas.
They tend to provide poor children with food and distribute gifts, it thing has been more about making these poor kids happy in a time that is supposed to spread happiness keeping faiths aside.
7. Jewish Santa Claus?
I think a Jew posing as Santa Claus during Christmas time is a sign of acceptance on their part and there have been instances of some Jewish people impersonating the Christmas figure to spread joys to the children.
What can be seen today is that many Jews today have been getting involved in this holiday that Christians celebrate by engaging in Mitzvoh such as preparing Christmas soups, help in decorating Christmas trees, substituting their Christian colleagues in the workplace, getting food for the poor as their contribution to the Christmas season.
Final Thoughts
From ancient times, the time of Christmas was not a very happening time for the Jews since they were living in the countries that had persecuted them earlier therefore, over time Jewish activities and rituals evolved to keep the Jewish people and Jewish community safe and sound.
Such as not stepping out, not engaging in Torah study, or any such activity that may lead to some unwelcome action from the rest of the non-Jewish communities.
But over the years we have seen that there has been a change in the Jewish attitude towards the Christian holiday. The Jews through volunteering have combined the value of Tikkun Olam- which stands for repairing the world along with the Christmas message of spreading joy. Changing the answer to the question, Why don’t Jews celebrate Christmas?
It should be noted that it is not just the Jews but also the Christian communities who have become more open and tolerant of the Jewish culture over the years, leading to a healthier relationship between the two opposing communities of yore.
Who could have thought that this dreaded holiday would one day become a means through which the American Jewish children will affirm their identity as both Americans and Jews?
Last Updated on by NamitaSoren