Jews Buying In

A friend sent me this article about Jews celebrating Christmas, and I just saw that Orthomom posted about it also.

Hooray (I guess) for the marketing people who have managed to completely retailize (it's a new word) and materialize and take every inch of possible spirituality out of the holiday. So long to people celebrating holidays for their original intention. I guess Jews should be happy that the holiday being celebrated here is not a Jewish one, that Jewish holidays have maintained a small (and I think more than small) semblance of what they are supposed to be about. I am not sure whether I would prefer having Jews celebrating Jewish holidays in such a manner, or whether I prefer them celebrating Christian holidays as such. I don't like the idea of Jews celebrating Christmas, but it seems to me that's not really what they are celebrating - they are celebrating the attempt to fit in and not be left out when it comes to getting presents and decorating their homes all pretty (something I do understand, I can't deny).

It's a form of peer pressure and I don't think Jews are choosing Christmas over Rosh Hashanah, I think they are just having trouble not taking part of such a huge cultural activity. Not that I think it's right, or that I will have a Christmas tree in my home any time soon. And honestly, reading the article has made me think twice about the lights I have around my cubicle.