Letters to the Editor
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pagan but Christian
I am a semi-lapsed Catholic, and I "get" that 99% of "Christmas" is either pagan, or completely godless consumerism. But were I Jewish, I wouldn't want a Christmas tree in the house, even if w called it a Solstice tree.
It would be as weird as my Catholic family having a seder with the haggadah and the seder plate and the "Next Year in Israel!" chanting.
No matter how hollowed-out the tradition has become, non-Christians celebrating Christmas is "playing house" with someone else's religion. It's kinda creepy to me.
Honestly, I don't know what to think of Irving and Winter Wonderday. It seems like everyone is happy, and it certainly doesn't impact my life, so it's none of my business. The family has created their own tradition, and it brings them closer together at a time of the year when most interfaith families are pulled in different directions. (I'm a little sad that the songs seem to "dis" Santa, though: picking on Christmas seems a little Freudian-slippery to me, as well as, petty).