Interestingly, I found this Ì¢âÂÒflood of articlesÌ¢âÂå demonstrating the ease with which many are able to celebrate Christmas with little or no regard for the religious underpinnings very reassuring. I am an atheist who was raised by a Jewish father and a Lutheran mother. I celebrate Christmas and pretend it has nothing to do with religion and I donÌ¢âÂã¢t feel guilty about taking that stance. However, the piece Ì¢âÂÒToo Much ChristmasÌ¢âÂå caused me to reconsider. In many ways it illuminated how difficult it is for those who choose not to celebrate Christmas, how it overpowers our culture and society, how important it is to maintain Ì¢âÂÒdistinctive identitiesÌ¢âÂå within the broader culture. But what is missing in this piece is the complication of interfaith marriages and the challenge of negotiating the holiday season in mixed-faith families. Over one-third of American Jews are married to Christians. I believe that these families probably struggle quite a bit to create meaningful holiday experiences that respect and support each partnerÌ¢âÂã¢s unique religious background.
Interestingly, I found this Ì¢âÂÒflood of articlesÌ¢âÂå demonstrating the ease with which many are able to celebrate Christmas with little or no regard for the religious underpinnings very reassuring. I am an atheist who was raised by a Jewish father and a Lutheran mother. I celebrate Christmas and pretend it has nothing to do with religion and I donÌ¢âÂã¢t feel guilty about taking that stance. However, the piece Ì¢âÂÒToo Much ChristmasÌ¢âÂå caused me to reconsider. In many ways it illuminated how difficult it is for those who choose not to celebrate Christmas, how it overpowers our culture and society, how important it is to maintain Ì¢âÂÒdistinctive identitiesÌ¢âÂå within the broader culture. But what is missing in this piece is the complication of interfaith marriages and the challenge of negotiating the holiday season in mixed-faith families. Over one-third of American Jews are married to Christians. I believe that these families probably struggle quite a bit to create meaningful holiday experiences that respect and support each partnerÌ¢âÂã¢s unique religious background.