What do you say to a Christian who no longer celebrates Christmas, but CHANUKAH?

[CMatt25]

I’m not sure if you meant this to be asked of and answered only by those who identify here as among the most faithful Catholics. But since this is the non Catholic forum, I guess I can say what I would do. If she still celebrates the secular Christmas holiday, then I would wish her a Merry Christmas. But it doesn’t sound as if she does if she doesn’t use the word Christmas. In either case I would also wish her a Happy Chanukah if Chanukah is her belief and what she celebrates. I have Muslim neighbors and I’ve even been known to get a blank card (Haven’t been able to find Ramadan cards. I’ve looked) and I wish them a blessed Ramadan in it. They are always so appreciative and they seem to consider it an act of kindness on my part.

But then they also have been known to wish me a Merry Christmas and at times with a card or even a gift. Of course they don’t exactly avoid the secular Christmas holiday so I have been known to exchange gifts with them.

Anyway I’d do the same if my friends were of Jewish belief or customs. I just tend to think of it as a do unto others type of thing with some love for my neighbor thrown in.

 

[CMatt25]

Apparently not, at least for some. The Messianic congregations I visited celebrated Pesach and Purim but not Easter.

That’s interesting to know. As even the Unitarian Universalists, a fellowship where I’ve seen stats of upwards of 90% not considering themselves Christian, still where I live have a Christmas service and an Easter service along with for instance services for Jewish holydays and others.

 

[MorningSong51]

And eggs have associations with Judaism as well. They represent the circle of life: birth to death, and are often part of the meal served to the family of a deceased individual during the period of mourning. The hard-boiled egg is also part of the traditional Passover Seder plate.

 

[thomasf]

This sounds like a friend of mine. She celebrates a lot of Jewish holidays, but refuses to celebrate Christmas or Easter because of the ‘pagan’ origination of these days. She’s always going on and on about the ‘original’ meaning of words, where Easter came from, where Christmas came from, etc. She is learning hebrew and they go to these camp things where they read from the torah and do jewish cultural things. Yet she claims to be Christian, and claims that this way of worshipping is closer to the way the early church worshipped. And she will also send me lots of anti-catholic stuff about how the church was corrupted by the roman emperors and all that usual bs. I actually have stopped talking to her because I was tired of all the anti-catholic nonsense coming from her.

I don’t get this preoccupation with all this judaism, both in worship and culture.

 

[MorningSong51]

My dear long time best friend, does not celebrate Christmas anymore. She won’t even say Christ or Christmas, but instead celebrates Channukah, a nd calls Jesus Yeshua. She got into Zola Levitt’s Messianic Christian movement of “congregations.” She won’t say “church” instead “go to worship.” I am kind of stupefied as to what to say. I have yet to share with her much of my Catholic conversion story. She knows I am a faithful Christian still, and is probably AS if not more stupefied that I became a Catholic.

To me Christmas, if not the ANNUNCIATION, are the BIG HOLY DAYS! God became flesh and dwelt among us! What could be bigger than that??? Why wouldn’t you want to celebrate when the Creator came to dwell among us?

(Of course, Easter has always been the highlight of my liturgical year)

I think this friend and her husband are ripe to come into the Catholic Church, if it is just presented well with grace; so I have held off coming at her full force.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Channukah (Hanukkah) - isn’t really a major holiday for Jews however, it has recently become this way because of our tradition at Christmas and celebrating the holidays. I don’t know if you have ever glanced at some pictures from Israel when the people do celebrate it, it’s very beautiful with all the blue lights hanging from the houses.

However, a thought about your friend, find out a little bit about the holiday and share some ideas. Even though she may not (at the present time) what to celebrate Christmas but Channukah - there are common traditions that come with the holiday.

It is traditional to eat foods fried in oil on Chanukah, to commemorate the miracle of Chanukah which occurred with oil.

It is customary on Chanukah to give gifts or holiday greetings.

It is also customary to give an increased amount of charity each day of Chanukah.

Ask her what the day means to her? Does she still believe that this was the day our Lord was born? Are her beliefs still in line with the New Testament? Even though its a Jewish holiday - it is a wonder time to experience what tradition that they may hold. The lighting of the menorah - what is mutually in common with the lighting? Christ came into the world as the light to all men, the menorah symbolizes this. We can hold the tradition of the Catholic church, in that respect. At midnight, all us have a candle in hand to show that light - find a mutual place. Talking about this wonderful time of the year - it bring a two fold message. Don’t limit yourself or hers. She may say things about the church - but the church has always (always) been in line with the scripture. I learned that by making a comparison - to those holidays. That information has strengthen me in my Catholic faith - and I know (now) that the church is very meticulous when upholding the major holy days. Show her this! Share what you know with this person, when you both have an open ear.

 

[MorningSong51]

This sounds like a friend of mine. She celebrates a lot of Jewish holidays, but refuses to celebrate Christmas or Easter because of the ‘pagan’ origination of these days. She’s always going on and on about the ‘original’ meaning of words, where Easter came from, where Christmas came from, etc. She is learning Hebrew and they go to these camp things where they read from the torah and do Jewish cultural things. Yet she claims to be Christian, and claims that this way of worshiping is closer to the way the early church worshiped. And she will also send me lots of anti-catholic stuff about how the church was corrupted by the roman emperors and all that usual bs. I actually have stopped talking to her because I was tired of all the anti-catholic nonsense coming from her.

I don’t get this preoccupation with all this Judaism, both in worship and culture.

I don’t like the anti Catholic comments, either. However, the earlier churches didn’t celebrate Chanukah like they do today.

 

[Ahimsa]

Q: What do you say to a Christian who no longer celebrates Christmas, but CHANUKAH?

A: Mazel Tov!

 

[Publisher]

My dear long time best friend, does not celebrate Christmas anymore. She won’t even say Christ or Christmas, but instead celebrates Channukah, a nd calls Jesus Yeshua. She got into Zola Levitt’s Messianic Christian movement of “congregations.” She won’t say “church” instead “go to worship.” I am kind of stupefied as to what to say. I have yet to share with her much of my Catholic conversion story. She knows I am a faithful Christian still, and is probably AS if not more stupefied that I became a Catholic.

To me Christmas, if not the ANNUNCIATION, are the BIG HOLY DAYS! God became flesh and dwelt among us! What could be bigger than that??? Why wouldn’t you want to celebrate when the Creator came to dwell among us?

(Of course, Easter has always been the highlight of my liturgical year)

I think this friend and her husband are ripe to come into the Catholic Church, if it is just presented well with grace; so I have held off coming at her full force.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Perhaps she’s “reconnecting” with Christianity’s Jewish roots.

“Yeshua” is as much “Jesus” name as “Jesus”…I don’t see the problem…why insist on a Latinized rendering of “Jesus” over a more Jewish pronounciation of “Yeshua”…Paul never used “Jesus” in refering to Christ either…don’t understand or recognize any problem…don’t understand why you would.

Christmas was not a “Christian” holiday…nor part of the liturgical calender for quite a few centuries after Christ…since Hanukah is the “Festival of Lights” and Jesus is the Light of thee world and since the gospels…at least Mark…was written to coincide with the scripure readings of the Jewish liturgical year…don’t see a problem with that either…don’t understand why you would either. While many Friends do celebrate Xmas…many of us do not…one day is not more holy than another and Jesus of Nazareth was not born in December any way.

As far a not calling buildings “church”…as a Friend…we don’t either…we dont’ “go to church” we “go to meeting”…the Church meets at the Meetinghouse for a “meeting for worship”…don’t have a problem with this either.

Zola Levit is an evangelical “Messianic Jew” who really seeks to link Christian thought to it’s very very Jewish roots…

 

[Tonga]

While It may be more attractive to ethnic Jews, some Protestants are drawn to it in a (IMNAAHO) misguided effort to “get closer to Biblical faith” by embracing the cultural aspects of Judaism. The problem with that is that neither our LORD, nor the apostles made Jewish culture or religion a prerequsite of faith. Greco-Romans, etc, who turned to HIM were not urged to embrace Judaism.

ICXC NIKA.

The other problem is that most of the Jewish culture they embrace wasn’t in existence
at the time of Jesus. So their claim that they are trying to practice “first century Judaism”
falls flat.

 

[Blossoming]

What she’s doing is called “Judaizing” which means in laymens terms acting like a Galatian. The whole epistle to the Galatians Paul chastized them for trying to keep the Jewish law and when and if they did they were forsaking grace. That they are putting themselves in bondage to the Old Law which Christ nailed to the cross.

Most Judaizers say they keep the sabbath, feast days, have the tassels, eat kosher etc. etc. and if pressed will say that a person is sinning who doesn’t keep those rules they’ll site the verses as “everlasting” etc. I’ve tried to talk to some Siclilian guy who was born in a Christian home that turned hardcore Messianic and they will use the verse “let no man judge according to sabbath day…” etc. as US (Christians) judging them for keeping the sabbath when Paul CLEARLY meant that we are not to be judged by Jews/Judiazers for not keeping the Saturday sabbath. They are first class scripture twisters and it is useless frankly trying to argue with them. They are blinded to the truth that we are not Jews (neither are they) and we are not required (or supposed to) keep the 613 OT laws.

My advice love your friend and pray for them but avoid any kind of “why do you follow that law”? conversations.

For those that think I’m being derogatory for using Judaizer please see this link:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaizers

Great info, I really hadn’t thought about it that way, since Messianic Judaism is just something I’ve run across rarely from time to time. I appreciate your knowledgable post.

The other problem is that most of the Jewish culture they embrace wasn’t in existence
at the time of Jesus. So their claim that they are trying to practice “first century Judaism”
falls flat.

This post seems reasonable too, I hadn’t thought about that either. Appreciate reading your take on the subject.

 

[Warrenton]

Q: What do you say to a Christian who no longer celebrates Christmas, but CHANUKAH?

A: Mazel Tov!

Dang it! You beat me to it!

One has to be careful about how one preaches to one’s friends.