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Kathryn
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| Posted: Nov 26 2013 at 9:01pm | IP Logged
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Forgive me if this is an ignorant question and while I know Jesus was Jewish and celebrated Jewish traditions, I guess I've always believed/thought that we follow the Christian traditions and these Jewish traditions today are still carried on by Jewish people who do not believe that Jesus is the son of God.
Soo, what is the significance of a Christian family having a Hanukkah party and should I allow my daughter to attend?
Thanks,
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Kathryn in TX
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TryingMyBest
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I'd let my daughter go (of course provided it's a safe environment, etc) but IMHO it's a bit demeaning to Jewish customs to import them into a Christian setting. Many Protestants today believe that Jesus lived a life like modern day Orthodox Jews which is not really true. There's an anti-Catholic element at work too because those same people usually believe that Catholicism "corrupted" early Christianity which, of course, is not true.
Getting on my soapbox here but there is something really bizarre about Christians disregarding their own traditions in favor of another religion's traditions. It would be much more historically accurate if they tried to learn the real history of Christianity but as Cardinal Newman said "To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant" which probably explains why they don't go down that path.
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JodieLyn
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There are some Christians that simply feel that we were never given the freedom to forgo the Jewish traditions. But also some that have a Jewish background in their family so that there are still traditions the they choose to follow.
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Kathryn
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| Posted: Nov 27 2013 at 1:24pm | IP Logged
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I know the mom was raised Catholic, married in the Catholic church and her and her dd attend a non-denominational Christian/Protestant church and apparently the dad is not really anything now. My dd had mentioned her friend getting presents at Hannukkah but not at Christmas and I thought that was odd and then we rec'd this invite so just wasn't sure if there was a possible conflict. I've even searched catholic answers forum and didn't have much luck.
This is what the invite says:
This time of year is so festive. Giving thanks for all our blessings at Thanksgiving. Celebrating the nation of Israel overcoming Antiochus at Hanukkah. Honoring our savior's birth at Christmas. Each holiday is so special, beautiful, and meaningful!
We know the holidays are busy, especially as we get closer to Christmas.
Therefore, Celie would like to have a very small girls' Hanukkah party this year. We think Wednesday, Dec. 4, before youth group would be best, maybe 4 to 6 p.m. We can take church friends to youth group.
We will eat jelly donuts, cheese blintzes, latkes, and small dinner dish with finger food of some sort. We will light the menorah, read a small reading from the Old and New Testaments, and play dreidel. The rest of the time will just be hanging out and visiting. No gift exchange.
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Kathryn in TX
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Nov 27 2013 at 3:12pm | IP Logged
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I guess I wonder what is the purpose of having the party?
According to my Jewish neighbor, Hanukkah is a very minor Jewish holiday that gets blown up just because it falls around the same time as Christmas. The importance of the two cannot be compared in any way.
I feel for you, Kathryn, because it just seems really very odd. What to do? Your dd is not being invited by a Jewish family to join in their celebration-I think I would be fine with that. Instead, you have a Christian family trying be Jewish? Or maybe there will be Jewish families and children there as well- maybe bringing their menorahs?
It's very confusing, and I wonder again why they are doing this. Is it to be different, or do they really feel that strongly about Hanukkah? And if they did feel that strongly, why would they be reading from the NT during the party? Wouldn't they try to be authentic?
It seems like this would be like my family hosting a Kwanza party out of the blue.
I don't think I would feel comfortable letting my dd go alone. If she really wanted to go, I would say OK, but I am going with you. That way you can know what exactly was said and done and can clear up any confusion this might give your dd, who might think this is something normally done.
I just read an Advent calendar review on Amazon written by someone who said she didn't want a chocolate calendar and especially not one with a religious theme. And I thought: so then what's the point?
This party reminds me of that review- some people are pretty mixed-up.  Good luck with your decision!
ETA: Jodie has a good point that maybe they do have some Jewish roots. Can you ask?
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Very awkward. It seems she's looking at an unique idea to not celebrate Christmas yet, so I like that idea, but...
It seems she's looking at cultural and historical perspective, but I'm bothered that this is a Jewish religious feast.
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St. Ann
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| Posted: Nov 28 2013 at 4:18am | IP Logged
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I am wondering if a faithful Jewish family would be offended by this kind of party??? Is this disrespectful of their Holy days????
...just thinking out loud...
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Aagot
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Just my guess, but I think this woman wants an excuse to throw a Christmas party but knows that Advent really isn't the time for that and that Christmas time is too busy for her and everyone else. Hanukkah was perfect timing and unique in her mind. Awkward, yes but probably pretty harmless.
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Kathryn
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| Posted: Dec 07 2013 at 7:42pm | IP Logged
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Ok...so I finally got clarification. The family considers themselves Messianic Christians although they do attend a Bible church. My DD didn't end up going to the party.
From what I read/understood at catholicanswers was that if a Christian was intending to elevate Hanukkah over Christmas, it was not acceptable for a Catholic to attend such an event. If it was a Jewish family and we were invited, that it would be acceptable.
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SallyT
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Yes, I know/know of a number of Evangelicals who do the "Jewish" thing, because they think that this is being authentically 1st Century Christian. I agree, it's odd, and it's completely ahistorical (and I always want to say, "If you really want to be an Early-Church Christian, Mass is at 9 on Sunday morning . . . ").
We do do a Seder of Holy Thursday in our family, and have for years -- we follow an adapted rite (which we got from a booklet put out years ago by Women for Faith and Family), and have always found it to be very symbolically rich, to celebrate that feast and then to go to the Mass of Holy Thursday. I was talking to a Jewish homeschooling mom just today, and though we didn't talk about that, I thought about it and wondered what she would think about it. I think there's a theological case to be made, at least to myself -- Jesus has grafted us into this lineage of His, so that their story is ours as well, and that story is woven inextricably into our Holy Week -- but for someone who obviously would not think that Jesus had done any such thing, how does this play?
That's just a side note, since the question was raised about the appropriation of a feast.
Sally
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CrunchyMom
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I have seen a lot of fundamental Christians in recent years downplay the religious significance of Christmas, buying into the secularist position about it not being his "real" birthday and it was all mostly a pagan festival anyway.  I've even heard them take sola scriptura to greater levels, saying the Bible doesn't tell us to celebrate Christmas, so it isn't a big deal.
Just today in the comments to a Matt Walsh piece about Santa being a lie, someone said that it is also "a lie" to say Christmas is Jesus's birthday, so they tell their children it is just a family holiday for exchanging gifts and helping others.  I thought I'd grown out of it, but I had an urgent "someone's wrong on the internet" moment and felt the need to comment 
I think that after 500 years, Protestants are having to be pretty creative in ways to purify their faith and make it somehow feel more authentic to them.
To echo Melinda, why Hannukah? Why not Purim?
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stacykay
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CrunchyMom wrote:
I have seen a lot of fundamental Christians in recent years downplay the religious significance of Christmas, buying into the secularist position about it not being his "real" birthday and it was all mostly a pagan festival anyway. I've even heard them take sola scriptura to greater levels, saying the Bible doesn't tell us to celebrate Christmas, so it isn't a big deal.
Just today in the comments to a Matt Walsh piece about Santa being a lie, someone said that it is also "a lie" to say Christmas is Jesus's birthday, so they tell their children it is just a family holiday for exchanging gifts and helping others. .... |
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Wow! I wonder if this is why almost none of the Protestant churches in our area have their services on Christmas Day?  I only know of one Lutheran church that has a Christmas Day service, and this in a city of almost 70 churches! We have gotten mailers from mega-churches in the past, that have said to relax and enjoy being with family on Christmas Day.
I wonder when all this changed? I grew up Episcopal, and we always had church on Christmas Day. I seem to recall friends of other faiths going on Christmas Day, too.
In Christ,
Stacy in MI
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JodieLyn
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There are some people that just really feel like you MUST celebrate a birthday or a holiday on that EXACT day or it's somehow less or just wrong.
I grew up that you celebrated a day when you could but if you couldn't you still celebrated on another day. So you get things like.. we celebrated Thanksgiving on the Saturday before Thanksgiving with my family. There are people who would then say "well it's not really Thanksgiving" in a "so it doesn't count" way.
Those people are the ones that get all bent out of shape about if Christmas Day is really Jesus' birthday.
I'm thinking.. Jesus was born. We're celebrating it. Who cares if the days match up exactly.
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SeaStar
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That is an interesting trend... no Christmas Day service. We see that in our area, too.
Our church has an Atrium, and each year as part of the Good Shepherd program the children participate in a Seder meal. I think that is fine, and even a good thing. Jesus chose to celebrate the first Eucharist at a Seder meal, so it is very interesting to see one in action. If the first mass had occurred during a Hanukkah celebration, then I am sure we'd be much more interested in seeing what they are all about. It would have new meaning for us.
Somehow, that is different to me than picking a random Jewish holiday and turning it into a big event.
I am glad, Kathryn, that you were able to sort it out and felt comfortable with your decision. Things like that are one of the crazy curve balls life throws-- unexpected and sort of makes your brain hurt as you try to figure out what to do.
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Dec 10 2013 at 11:06am | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
There are some people that just really feel like you MUST celebrate a birthday or a holiday on that EXACT day or it's somehow less or just wrong.
I grew up that you celebrated a day when you could but if you couldn't you still celebrated on another day. So you get things like.. we celebrated Thanksgiving on the Saturday before Thanksgiving with my family. There are people who would then say "well it's not really Thanksgiving" in a "so it doesn't count" way.
Those people are the ones that get all bent out of shape about if Christmas Day is really Jesus' birthday.
I'm thinking.. Jesus was born. We're celebrating it. Who cares if the days match up exactly. |
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Exactly. That would be like saying the Olympics aren't really the Olympics because they are celebrated at a different time each year they come up.
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CrunchyMom
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Fwiw, I grew up Baptist, and there was never a Christmas Day service, though sometimes there was a Christmas Eve. I think that, in this regard, the less like mass your service is, the less significant it seems to come to church for a special day other than Sunday. You can read the Bible and sing carols st home, yk?
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Hanukkah Party?
