Christmas had evolved into a secular holiday. So that it is even celebrated in Japan.
How about in Israel? Is it a special day?
Home | Christmas had evolved into a secular holiday. So that it is even celebrated in Japan.
How about in Israel? Is it a special day?
AFAIK, it's not a special day, and it isn't an official holiday. But my Christian (and other) friends tell me that Jerusalem is quite a scene, and is well-worth visiting. Especially in the Christian Quater.
Jews from former Soviet Union and as well Russian immigrants who did not adjust to Jewish way of live still celebrating
Jews from FSU do not celebrate Christmas. They celebrate New Year's, but in a way very reminiscent of the Western World's Christmas celebrations. There is the New Year Tree that's just like the Christmas Tree, a persona of "Grandfather Frost" who looks and acts much like Santa, and gifts that people find under the tree the next morning. But it isn't about Christ, or any Christian traditions, and the whole setup is done for the New Year's celebration on the night of Dec 31 to Jan 1, not the Christmas Day.
Last year the government of Finland donated a large natural Christmas tree with all its decorations to Bethlehem. I wonder whether there will be such a donation this year.Originally Posted by KettleWhistle
yours letterperfect
is there a jewish holiday that matches the so called 'christmas spirit'?
what christmas spirit? for an agnostic like me its the seasonal condition of extreme happiness, love, charity, sharing, friends, family, fun, merry songs, feasts, gift-giving, eye-candy, days off.
"Blessed is the holiday which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."
That's pretty much every major holiday, except for Yom Kippur. Not exactly like Christmas, but some resemblance of that "spirit" is there. Hanuka and Pesah (Passover) are both week-long celebrations of national indpendence that are very personal in nature, and are celebrated both on a national level and among the family. Both include special food and family time. Purim is a carnival during the day, and there is a fair share of drinking during the evening festivities. People also exchange gifts on Purim, and it is customary to give children spending cash for Hanuka.
Kettle the terrorist Hanukah is not even mentioned in the Bible, it is a secular celebration of the victory over the Selucids.
Cato, the Arafat-loving bafoon, what was your point here again?
I'm guessing there's a missing comma in that sentence. I hope so.
That you were trying to equate a relatively minor jewish holiday with one of the most important in christianity is what it sounded like to me.
Kettle Hanukah, also known as "KettleWhistle", or "The Terrorist", is not mentioned in the Bible. Hmmm...
Would that be the Catholic/Protestant December 25th? or do you mean the Orthodox January 7th? or perhaps the Armenian January 19th?
I personally know Israelis of all three variants. Add to this the Jewish, Muslim and Druze holidays, and you'll never get anybody doing any work in Israel.
And one day off more...
In my country (Finland) almost nothing is open on Christmas Eve. Shops and offices close early.
This was quite a change to me, when I lived in England, where Christmas Eve was a normal working day.
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