Zone1 Why do some American Jews avoid Easter Egg hunts and Christmas presents for their children?

[surada]

Do American Moslems allow their children to participate in Easter Egg hunts or receive Christmas presents? Do you know?

Why would they? You make no sense.

 

[Meriweather]

Do you CHOOSE to engage in paganism?

How are you defining "paganism"? It's a catch-all term for all minor religions. Celebrating Christ's birthday and his resurrection is participating in one of the major religions. There are only so many days in the year. On the day I am having my own celebration, are you declaring what I am "really" doing is celebrating the birthdays of over seventeen million other people? I am guessing most cultures down through the ages took time to celebrate each season--this harvest, that harvest, the longest day, the shortest day--and all focused on one of the many attributes of that season. In the Christian faith, we celebrate liturgical seasons, and these celebrations have little to do with celebrating the first harvest, or whatever. The one thing I can promise you, is that before Christianity, no one celebrated Jesus' resurrection. Give mankind a reason to celebrate, and a celebration breaks out, that has nothing to do with past celebrations that once occurred on that same day years ago. We play games--and yes, some of those same games are older than the first time we gathered to celebrate a new event.

 

[jwoodie]

Because they are activities tied to Christian holidays. We are not Christians.

There seems to be divergent attitudes about whether these activities are Christian or pagan, but a uniform attitude about not wanting to discuss them. Forbidden subjects indicate small minds.

 

[rosends]

There seems to be divergent attitudes about whether these activities are Christian or pagan, but a uniform attitude about not wanting to discuss them. Forbidden subjects indicate small minds.

the issue is that the practices develop from religious practice (regardless of how they got into that). Since they are developed from religious practice, they are off limits to Jews. Discussing them is pretty common, though.

 

[AsherN]

There seems to be divergent attitudes about whether these activities are Christian or pagan, but a uniform attitude about not wanting to discuss them. Forbidden subjects indicate small minds.

We discuss plenty. But there is really not much to discuss. Not our practices, so why should we follow them?

 

[jwoodie]

How are you defining "paganism"?

Did you notice the post to which I was mimicking? I consider the term to be unnecessarily vague. I suppose it refers to any religious belief not currently in vogue.

But my questions were about deliberate avoidance of Easter Egg hunts and other secular activities which have no religious content other than being associated with Christian (or pagan?) holidays. I am dismayed, but not surprised, that no one has been willing to address these question in an objective manner.

 

[Meriweather]

But my questions were about deliberate avoidance of Easter Egg hunts and other secular activities which have no religious content other than being associated with Christian (or pagan?) holidays. I am dismayed, but not surprised, that no one has been willing to address these question in an objective manner.

The answer is simple. I never went to a rock concert because I simply wasn't interested in all that went with them--crowds, noise, expenses, etc. It had nothing to do with "deliberate avoidance", just a lack of interest in being involved in that particular activity.

Easter Egg hunt: Cook the eggs, decorate the eggs, hide the eggs, wait for kids to find the eggs...and does anyone truly want to eat them after being carried around (and cracked) by hot, dirty little hands? Sure, I did all this and more for the little kids in my family--they get such a kick out of it. Dad always found time to play 'hide and seek' games of all kinds with us. There are surely other games adults prefer to play with their children. Other preferred activities does not equate to "deliberate avoidance" either.

Christmas presents...sure that's fun to give and to receive. But...what can be even more special is an unexpected gift at an unexpected time. Many find Christmas a time of great stress and so opt out.

 

[Unkotare]

Be careful, IM2 will have a hissy fit.