Christmas Traditions in a Jewish Household

Tonight, Christian families all over the world will celebrate Christmas. Of course, my family and I are Jewish so we don’t celebrate this holiday. We don’t put up a tree. We don’t roast chestnuts or sing carols. And we definitely don’t await the arrival of a jolly plump visitor via chimney. However, we do have some traditions that we follow during Christmas.

Our first tradition involves Christmas eve. Every store in town seems to be closed, so we seek out the ones that are open. Usually, this means a Chinese restaurant. Yes, that stereotype of Jews eating Chinese food on Christmas is true for us. Some might dream of Christmas ham. I dream of Christmas lo mein perhaps with some sushi. Ok, I know sushi is Japanese, but the local Chinese Buffet place has some good sushi too.

Our next tradition takes place the next morning. We watch (and/or DVR for later viewing) the Christmas parade. You don’t need to celebrate the holiday to appreciate the parade.

The next tradition is that I’ll go to work instead of having the day off. Why, you ask? Why not simply take the day off and enjoy it with my family? Well, no one else is in during Christmas. That means that I can get a lot of work done uninterrupted. Plus, my office’s cafeteria gives out free lunches and pies to people who work on Christmas day. Lastly, I can take the day off another day. Perhaps I will use that day off for an extended trip (like to see my parents) or perhaps I’ll simply spend it with my family when more places are open. Either way, working on Christmas is a win-win for me.

What are your unusual Christmas traditions?