A very Jewish Christmas

By Josh Perlman

For as long as I can remember, Christmas has been my favorite holiday.

I anxiously await the start of the holiday season each year, when the stores pull out their decorations and the TV stations prepare their best Christmas movie marathons. As far as I’m concerned, the end of Halloween marks the start of the happiest time of the year. With the cheery carols, lit-up streets and seasonal drinks at Starbucks, nothing compares to the excitement of the days leading up to December 25^th.

There’s only one problem – I’m Jewish.

Growing up, I was always pretty bad at hiding the envy I felt for my Christian friends.

“But you’re so lucky,” they would say to me. “You get a different present for all eight days of Hannukah.”

Little did they know seven of those presents were usually socks.

Sure, there are perks that come with my religion. My parents threw me the party of the century for my bar mitzvah, and I always felt rather impressive when people asked me if I “speak Jewish.” But there’s one thing you just can’t beat, and that’s the spirit of Christmas.

My enthusiasm for the holiday has always been a bone of contention for my parents. I think they first began to feel concerned when I asked them if I could hang Christmas lights in my bedroom. Once I was about 13 years old, I began freeloading off my friends and spending Christmas with their families each year.

“This is Josh. He’s a Jew,” my one friend would tell her family.

The attention was great. It was like I was Annie and they were all my Daddy Warbucks.

I was happy to finally be a part of a tradition I longed to experience, but I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. Maybe that’s just the way it’s meant to be, I thought. Maybe some people are meant to open presents under the Christmas tree, while others are destined to order Chinese food and see a movie.

But as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize that life doesn’t have to be so black-and-white. Just because I don’t have a stocking hanging above my fireplace with my name on it, doesn’t mean I can’t take part in the holiday cheer. The Christmas spirit isn’t about where you come from or which Testament you believe in; it’s about appreciating life, and appreciating each other.

So when you see your Jewish friends this month, give them some eggnog and wish them a merry Christmas. If they’re anything like me, they’ll love you for the gesture.