Thank you Carol B.!!
In the last article I made a comparision between Christmas and Hanukah. Unfortunately I was vague and Carol was kind enough to point it out.
Hanukah is a real celebration day (not a holi-day though) It commemorates the restoration of the Temple after the defeat (with a lot of Roman help- bad move) of the Greeks who sought to eradicate Judaism. In the scriptures it is referred to as the Feast of Lights. Interestingly this is the celebration at which Jesus chose to proclaim, “I am the light of the world.” How kool is that?
Anyway I failed to be specific. It was the commercialization of Hanukah that I was intending to nail. This is a very modern phenomenon and was instituted because of the day’s proximity to Xmas.
To any Christian who thinks the religious celebration of Christmas has been somehow hijacked by commercialism or reduced to the pabulum of civic sentimentality, student rabbi Howard Stein feels your pain. After all, the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah has been redefined by the pop-culture Christmas, at least in the United States.
And then there is the gift giving, which has a distinctly American flair, an accommodation by parents who don’t want their children to feel left out when December rolls around.
“Hanukkah is more prominent in America because of its proximity to Christmas,” Stein said. “It doesn’t hold the same importance in Israel, where Christmas isn’t a factor.”
So, I hope that clears things up. Thanks Carol!
Michael
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