Jews keep holy days holy – why can’t Christians?

Everywhere you look at Christmastime, there are blinking tree lights, big blow up Santas, and green neon “happy holidays” signs.  I do pass the occasional nativity scene – but that is usually on the front lawn of a church. Christmas – one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar – seems to be lacking in Christ.  Unfortunately, Christmas isn’t the only time this happens.  Easter is now about a bunny and candy and coloring eggs.  

           

The “big two” Christian holidays have become extremely secularized – and I don’t mean the secularization that comes with political correctness and inclusiveness.  I’m referring to those aspects of the holidays that focus on mythical characters, elaborate decorations, and of course, spending A LOT of money – with little or no focus on why the holidays exist in the first place.    I am not an overly religious person, but I still have several nativities in my house at Christmas.  I also have a “Happy Birthday Jesus” cake every year for my children.  We sing Happy Birthday to Jesus as a reminder of what the celebration is all about.

 

 Jewish holidays are not so secularized.  The only decoration one sees during Hanukkah is the menorah in the window of a Jewish home.  That menorah however, represents exactly what the celebration is about.  8 days of light provided by a minimum amount of oil – represented by 8 candles in the menorah.  Gifts can be given each day, but department stores aren’t overloaded with blue and white decorations,   There is no fictional character associated with Hanukkah (save for Saturday Night Live’s annual repeat of a skit called “Hanukkah Harry”,  in which a Jewish friend takes over for a sick Santa, and delivers warm socks to all the children!)   The less secularized the holiday, the more it retains its holiness and sacred meaning for the celebrants. Christmas and Hanukkah are celebrated in the same season.  For Jews it is a celebration of a miracle over 8 nights.  For most Christians, it is a month of shopping frenzy, decorating, and writing out cards – except for one hour each week during Advent when the events leading up to Jesus’ birth are celebrated in church.  

 

 As I mentioned before, the same is true of Easter.  Easter and Passover are also during the same season.    Passover is a very special time for the Jewish people, celebrated with a traditional Seder.  The Seder is the time to revisit the most important time in Jewish history – the exodus from Egypt.  This was the turning point in Jewish history, and is celebrated in a sacred, prayerful way.  It is such a sacred meal, that it is believed to be why Jesus and his disciples had gathered the night before his crucifixion.  . This “last supper.” is reenacted in Christian churches when they celebrate the Eucharist.   What most fail to realize, is that they are reenacting the last traditional Jewish celebration of Jesus’ life.   Passover was then, and is now a sacred holy day.

 

Easter however, which is considered THE most important holy day of the Christian calendar, is completely commercial outside of church.  On Good Friday, Christians attend very solemn services commemorating the death of their Lord and savior Jesus Christ – then they go home to color eggs.  Sunday morning, the joyous day of celebration that the Lord is raised, begins with a frenzy of children searching for eggs, and tearing into candy jammed baskets.  Everyone puts on their Sunday finest, goes to church for an hour to celebrate Jesus, and then likely spends the day with relatives.  A prayer may be said over dinner, but there are no traditional (meaningful) foods (such as the unleavened bread for the Jewish Passover), and no specific prayers.  The celebration of Jesus’ rising often stops at the church door.

 I don’t know why Christian holidays have become so secularized.  And while I enjoy watching my kids’ excitement about Santa and the Easter bunny, I am disturbed by the fact that the “reason for the season” is often glaringly absent.   The Jewish people have kept their holy days holy – why has it been so difficult for Christians to do the same?