2009 makes the 37th Christmas I’ve celebrated. No, not that young; that Jewish. Our family celebrated Hanukah when we were kids – menorah and gifts. Beyond that not so much, although I may stand corrected by my two brothers. Christmas Eve was usually a Christmas lights tour through town then home to a Christmas-tree-less home. I had serious Christmas envy. Always did. I knew it wasn’t right. I mean, after all, I was Jewish.
My Italian-Irish Catholic good friend and former partner Jack gently introduced me to Christmas. In 1973 we got one another Christmas gifts and opened them Christmas Eve. That continued as our Christmas tradition. In 1978 we moved to an apartment with a space begging for a Christmas tree. I dared not say anything – I mean, after all, I was Jewish and a Christmas tree where I lived was …
Jack mentioned it. Seeing a lifetime of Christmas envy bubbling to the fore with my “yes”, he immediately laid down decorating rules: white lights and red bulbs. Period. We negotiated. (Well, he let me think I was negotiating.) Jack kindly granted me and my Christmas envy permission to hang tinsel and gold bulbs along with red ones.
Our most spectacular tree was in an apartment with 20 foot ceilings. The tree was around 18 feet tall. We bought more lights and bulbs that year; also borrowed a ladder. All 18 feet of that magnificent tree glistened.
Christmas tradition continues for me – trees and gifts. Opening gifts Christmas Eve from Jack I brought to others’ Christmas traditions.
To the purists – Hanukah is no Christmas. Thank you, Jack.
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3 comments:
I remember you bitching about helping to hang tinsel on the tree we had in Fairview-Dustin's first Christmas! You didn't want to hang one strand at a time...you thought you could just throw it on the tree.
Lisa
That's a beautiful story.
That's a really nice story and I know exactly how you felt.
Rhonda
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