November 2008 Archives

The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year and I'm struggling to figure out how to deal with it on my conversion path. I never felt any religious connection to Christmas, it has  always been a profoundly secular day and season for me yet I feel conflicted about reveling in "pagan Christmas" (that's what B and I like to call it) as I move deeper everyday into living a Jewish life.

The Christmas season is beautiful to me because, on a large scale, people act with kindness and try to put more beauty and good into the world on a daily basis. Gift giving, parties, baking, holiday cards, dinners with friends, etc. All of these things most of us seem "too busy" for during the rest of the year we somehow manage to find time and energy for during the Christmas season. One of the major tenants of my Jewish life is to live a meaningful life every day and attempting to repair and perfect the world each day. It seems like the rest of the world gets on that bandwagon during this time of year as well. Not that I'm trying to be judgmental and say the rest of the world is not interested in doing good the rest of the year it just seems to be more a pressing concern that's on the collective's mind during the Christmas season. Do you know what I mean?

I'll still be participating in the Christmas rituals of food and gift gifting with family, that goes without saying. As my rabbi says you don't suddenly stop having the shared history with your family of origin and you don't have the right to suddenly start depriving them of ritual and events which are meaningful to them just because it may not be meaningful to you in the same way. Still I'm figuring out how to be comfortable not only enjoying but also participating in this season.

I've finding that the best way for me to figure out how to be Jewish during this season is to bake. A lot. And then give those baked goods away to friends and family. I'm open to other suggestions but baking seems to be the thing.