On The View today, (Dec. 24, 2010) Barbara Walters seems to have said she can't understand why Jews would object to "Christmas" trees, "Santa Claus," stockings, and other symbols of the season in their homes. She contends that these trappings of the holiday are "not religious" and should be not just "not offensive" to Jews but should be adopted by Jews along with the pretty songs associated with the season (many of which, alas, were written and are performed by Jews).
I was going to send the following to Ms. Walters, but she is not easily reached - I can understand that given her fame (notoriety?)
The "Christmas" tree indeed DOES have a religious connection, albeit a pagan one (also the yule log, mistletoe, and many other associated "Christmas" traditions).
From http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_tree.htm
Jeremiah 10:2-4: "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." (King James Version).
and
In Europe, Pagans in the past did not cut down evergreen trees, bring them into their homes and decorate them. That would have been far too destructive of nature. But during the Roman celebration of the feast of Saturnalia, Pagans did decorate their houses with clippings of evergreen shrubs. They also decorated living trees with bits of metal and replicas of their God, Bacchus.
Tertullian (circa 160 - 230), an early Christian leader and a prolific writer, complained that too many fellow-Christians had copied the Pagan practice of adorning their houses with lamps and with wreathes of laurel at Christmas time.
The fact that many "believers" fail to observe the holiday in a religious sense in no way disassociates the "Christmas" tree and other "Christmas" traditions from "Christmas."
"Santa Claus" allegedly is modeled on a Christian saint (Nicolas) who is supposed to have given presents to people. While there is nothing inherently "Christian" about given aid to the less fortunate - indeed, it is a Jewish commandment, Claus/Nicolas followed the Jew Jesus' teaching; unfortunately, this is ignored and Claus/Nicolas is closely associated with the holiday; a "Christina" religious connection might be the gifts brought to the baby Jesus by the "wise men."
From http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38: Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God,
Bottom line: Claus/Nicolas _is_ closely associated with the holiday.
The "stocking hung by the chimmy with care" is associated with Claus/Nicolas according to http://www.allthingschristmas.com/traditions.html
The tradition of the Christmas stockings began by a story told since ancient time about a kind noble man who had three daughters. The wife of the nobleman expired and the daughters and their father were left in a state of sorrow. The daughters had to do all the work in the house. When the daughters became young and eligible for marriage, the poor father could not afford to give the huge dowries to their husbands.
One evening the daughters, after washing their stockings hung them near the fire place to be dried. Santa Claus being moved by the plight of the daughters came in and put in three bags of gold one in each of the stocking hanging by the chimney. The next morning the family noticed the gold bags and the nobleman had enough for his daughter’s marriage. The daughters got married and they lived happily ever after. Since then children have been hanging Christmas stockings.
Mistletoe, according to http://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-mistletoe/history.html, can be traced back to the ancient Scandinavian custom as well as to the Norse myth. The Scandinavian people believed mistletoe to be a plant of peace. Even if enemies happened to pass beneath the plant, they had to lay down their arms and call truce at least until the next day. Slowly and gradually, this custom gave rise to the kissing tradition that is still in vogue. However, Christmas mistletoe is also very much associated with one of the Norse myths, known as the myth of Baldur.
From http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/health/11real.html: Studies show that mistletoe is not quite as hazardous as it is made out to be. The plant does in fact contain harmful chemicals like viscotoxins, which can cause gastrointestinal distress, a slowed heartbeat and other reactions. But in studies of hundreds of cases of accidental ingestion over the years, there were no fatalities and only a handful of severe reactions.
And then there's Oh little town of Bet Lehem" - house of bread in Hebrew house of meat in Arabic - where believers can take their life in their hands - and put it into the hands of Islamists who have proven than while they love Christian money, they can do without those believers.
For a Jew to decorate his/her home with "Christian" or pagan ritual objects is an insult to the person's professed belief and shows the person's ignorance of his history, both distant (back to Year 1 of the Current Era) and recent (expulsions, pogroms, Inquisition (until the 19th Century in the New World), holocaust, and anti-Semitism.
I _will_ wish my non-Jewish acquaintenance a happy holiday, but the word "Christmas" - Christ's mass - would suggest that I believe the messiah has come, and based on the world around us, it's obvious we still are waiting for the messiah.
