Dear Prudence: Chinese Jewish Christmas

A Chinese-American woman whose Jewish boyfriend has Christmas issues seeks guidance from Slate's advice columnist, Prudence.

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Film & Animation

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• Slate
• Slate V
• Dear Prudence
• Prudie
• Emily Yoffe
• advice
• animation

[spek6]

Actually, if you look at the history of the Christmas tree, you'll find that, like most "Christian" traditions, it was stolen from earlier pagan ceremonies.

"To Tree or Not to Tree" should give her boyfriend a history lesson, rather than allow herself to be bullied into abandoning her right to enjoy and celebrate symbols of nature and rebirth, symbols that belong as much to her as to the Christers or any other cult that claims exclusive ownership of something that wasn't theirs to begin with.

[GetDrunkAndWatch]

"To tree or not to tree" should not take Prudie's horrible advice. Just because Christians adopted the Saturnalia celebrations and grafted their religious traditions onto them doesn't make this time of the year theirs, or their opinion the "true meaning" of the holiday season. I doubt you want to simply turn the holiday into a "gift giving exchange"(hear that with condescending tone) and just want to maintain the traditions you grew up with.

[liquidsnakeckw]

This is ridiculous, Jesus aren't even born on December 25. The New Testament gives no date or year for Jesus’ birth. Christmas is actually an ancient pagan ceremony

[TastyPepperoniPizza]

Wow. That guy is selfish. First they are raising their kids Jewish (His choice) and now he wants to block out christmas? He seems like soon he's going to take over what they eat, what she wears, etc.

[Luiji99]

Call it Yule! That's what Christmas is based off of!

[Mattinmotion]

Why is my response terrible exactly? Because I don't respect someone being offended by a christmas tree? Please. And who's shoving religions down anyonese throats? I don't have one and it doesn't seem like the author of the letter has one either, not in the context of christmas anyway. How about the boyfriend respect the feelings of the person he supposedly loves when she says it has nothing to do with christianity? Oh I forgot, he's the one who's of the chosen people *roll eyes*

[yepthatscasper]

WWII is not 2000 years ago. Remember that, and also remember your narrow minded response is terrible. Being Jewish i would rather not listen to Christmas songs and Do not want my children to believe in Jesus. But i would not shove my religion down your throat.

[Syntox]

@vanille2308 - you only want your own religious traditions respected and acknowledged because you think your people are chosen, and perpetual victim hood. I GET IT. My bad! How could I be such an evil Nazi.

[GetDrunkAndWatch]

Funny you mention it. I was punched and bullied in school because I apparently was a "Jew" due to having curly brown hair and "a large nose" (dumb), though I've never practiced the religion of Judaism. I know people can discriminate when you're not part of the main group and sorry you had to go through it too.

I'm an atheist and I'm still marginalized for my lack of religious beliefs. I could make a strong argument that atheists often suffer similar experiences of discrimination.

Happy Holidays

[Mattinmotion]

Vanille2308: I'm glad that religion is introducing such joy in your own and others life. I'm sure it'd be difficult to hang on to 2000 year old grudges if it wasn't around. Why is it by the way that she has to respect his view of christmas but not the other way around. Seeing as christmas was originally a pagan holiday, he doesn't "really" know what it's about either, as if that was relevant anyway.

[vanille2308]

If you do not understand this, the reason is that you did not experience the discrimination in this country against non-christians. You did not experience being humiliated for being different every year around this time. You cannot understand what it is like because for you this is a happy time of year, but for us it just brings up painful memories.

Also, even if I were to forget all that, I still cannot abide the unwarranted destruction of trees, and the fire hazard it brings in the home.

[vanille2308]

None of these commenters know what it is like to grow up Jewish in this country. Prudie is right. You cannot raise kids Jewish and celebrate X-mas. It's either one or the other. "Jews for Jesus" are not Jews, they are Christians.

X-mas is a time to remember how Christians would come out and slaughter the Jews in their neighborhood because of sheer hate.

X-mas is a time to remember how the "War on Christmas" bigots come after you and force their tradition down your unwilling throat.