I almost succeeded in completely ignoring Xmas this year and
I am grateful to immigrants for this bliss. Before large groups of Muslims,
Hindus and Buddhists came here en masse, this place was truly a Christian
country. Yes, there existed a meager six percent minority of Jews and a few
Buddhist Chinese around in the fifties and sixties while I was growing up. We
were thankful to those who kept their restaurants open on that fateful day.
Beyond that, there were few dissenting voices within earshot.
My Jewish parents made the decision to bring secular
Christmas to my sister and me. We had a Chanukah bush that looked and smelled deceptively
like a Christmas tree. We lit candles on the menorah perfunctorily. And, like
other Americans celebrated on the 25th. The reason for this was that
my parents, like so many Jews, had just felt odd and left out on that day. They
wanted their children to be more part of this country’s culture. Why not indulge
in some harmless trees, ornaments, lights, reindeers and Santa. American
Christmas really has very little to do with old J. C. and besides that, it was
fun.
It’s true, secular-Jewish Xmas did make me love the holiday
season. But today, something makes me even happier this time of year. It is the
fact that many new immigrants do not make these concessions at all! The motel
my friends and I stayed in near Monterey California
is owned by East Indians. Our small coterie of wandering Jews stayed there
right through that holiday with neither a decoration nor a single mention from
the very diverse group having coffee and waffles on Christmas day. To me, that
was a gift of unbelievable magnitude and spirit.
So keep on coming Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and even,
goddess forbid, other Jews. We are broadening the spiritual scope of this
country. And I love it!
