Let's just be upfront: we don't celebrate Christmas. It's not our tradition, not our holiday. And I don't just mean the lovely silent night part in Church, we don't have a tree. We don't listen to carols. We don't exchange gifts. We don't even try to make our otherwise minor and wimpy holiday into a parallel celebration. Hanukkah is lovely, it's just a minor celebration. Nothing even close to sukkot or pesach, two holidays we aren't exactly expecting to see "decorations" in the stores for, even in our neighborhood.
I have absolutely no problem with other people doing so, and no problem at all with the fusspot enjoying other family's traditions in their homes. Which is to say, that if we are invited caroling or to a Christmas cookie exchange, I am happy to go. My rule is simple: not in our apartment. [The related issue of what to do about entirely clueless not Christian in-laws who see Christmas as entirely secular holiday and are happy to engage in every tradition they can grasp is a separate issue. This after all are the same people who nodded in agreement when a rather tipsy yours truly told a child a few years ago that santa was just a much older Jesus. I mean, there really is nothing religious behind their cookies/lights/tree and yet it drives. me. crazy. But then again most of that is probably all about appearances: I don't want my kid to be the one in Hebrew School who says "Oh yeah, my grandparents had a Christmas tree" because gosh darn it, they aren't even Christians!].
But obviously we obsess about what to tell the fusspot, how to explain that other people have lovely traditions and yet we're going to skip them. After all, even her daycare has a Christmas tree and the fusspot has been enthusiastically participating in the lynching of her stuffed animals and barbies which dangle rather suggestively from the plastic tree by 5 pm.
So it is delightful to realize that we can just skip around this monstrous sized pit of doom for another year (I mean, if this holiday is ever-so-much-fun, why won't we let her participate, seems like an obvious question). The fusspot insists on referring to all of the "Snowmen" she sees around town and asking when it will snow. This is of course a slight improvement from last year when she referred to them as "mama" (you know, because of my extravagant facial hair and roly poly girth).
On Sunday we were wandering through a big store and the saleswoman came over to the fusspot and wished her "Happy Holidays!" and the fusspot turned and smiled and said very enthusiastically "Happy Halloween!" which basically sums up our level of comprehension around here.
And so, a very Happy Halloween to all of you.
And speaking of upcoming holidays, it just so turns out that the dumpling and I will spend a good part of our Christmas Eve on a layover in ... Dubai. I can't even believe this crazy trip is happening, but barring war/coup/rising political tensions, it seems like baby and I will be hoping on a plane halfway around the world for a whirlwind 5 day wedding celebration. More on that later.
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Begs the question . . . if Dumpling in Dubai . . . where will Fusspot be? I'm guessing if you are out of the country, the Christmas-enjoying inlaws will have her caroling somewhere then? Haha (sorry, i know it's not funny, really, i do - just trying to figure out how you prevent that from an airport in Dubai).
Does your husband express any longings for Christmas traditions?
I have zip problem with non-Christians wishing to not take part in Christian-themed holiday celebrations. But what does highly annoy me is non-Christians celebrating "Christmas" and in the other breath talking nonstop about how they don't believe in (any) God, etc. I admit some of the so-called traditions that so-called Christians engage in nowadays stretch the bounds of being religion-related, but it annoys me to no end when the loudest of the anti-God crowd I know puts up a Christmas tree, bakes Christmas cookies, sees no problem with the day off of work, etc.
Off soapbox now, hahaha. Can't wait to see your photos from this trip!!!
Wanted to add one more thing after reading my comment . . . I have no problem with folks of other faiths (Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, etc.) who wish to partake in some Christian traditions as a part of engaging other community members, etc. I know that when a Jewish person wishes me a "Merry Christmas" or attends a Christmas Choir concert they aren't confused about their faith anymore than when I send them a note on holidays important in their own faith. It's nice to learn about others traditions and history, and I think we can do so in a way that doesn't negate our own faith.
I always wonder how annoying the overwhelming-large Christmas celebrations must be to non-Christians. Some of the Christmas music even makes me want to gouge out my ear drums.
I personally struggle with how to keep Christmas from getting out of proportion and how to have fun with myths like Santa without making too big of a deal about them. And one thing that really annoys me personally is that it isn't even Christmas until the 25 (for most Christians). Before that it's Advent. Most people take down their trees the day after Christmas when it's just the start of Christmas (the 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas and go through the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan 6th).
As usual, we have similar issues as you, with the Jewish household but the secular-Christmas-celebrating Asian in-laws. :)
Our approach is to compare Christian holidays to other people's birthdays. When it's your friend's birthday, you go to his house to celebrate with him; you eat cake, you give him a present, you play games, you have a good time. But you wouldn't expect to have your own birthday cake waiting for you when you get home, because it's not YOUR birthday.
At least, that's the plan. I believe this will be the final year of oblivious holidays for us as well, but LL has yet to notice the Christmas explosion around us. He thinks reindeer are cool, but he also thinks that they're moose. And I don't think he has noticed the various santas all over the place. He likes all the sparkling lights in the neighborhood (so do I) but he liked them just as much last month, when there were Dewali lights all over our neighborhood, and he never asked us why we weren't celebrating Dewali, despite receiving some wonderful candy as a Dewali gift from a friend.
Next year, I think we'll have to talk things through, but not yet.
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