Season's Tweetings
So I'm still working my way thru my MEME tag backlog: a while ago Jameel tagged me for the "Confessional", and my inner Catholic has decided that now is the time. But instead of spewing forth a whole list of skewed private information nobody needs to know, I'm going to limit it to just one timely topic:
I Confess: I Love Christmas... I confess that for the last few days I've been alternating between The Muppet's Christmas Carol OST and The Best Christmas Album in the World...Ever! playing in my car. I confess that I miss all those songs, and I miss how spirited and warm everyone becomes in England as the shops get increasingly twinkly and tinselly. I confess that my Christmas nostalgia has without a doubt reached new heights since I moved away from all that to the Holy Land. (Apt, I guess!) to the point that I even once contemplated attending Midnight Mass to quench my nostaliga (causing Christian friends back in the UK to raise a confused eyebrow, in view of the fact that I was their Jewish classmate who sat out of daily assembly.) Actually, I'm not alone. Many Israelis have apparently started attending Mass out of curiosity, to the point that some of the local proselytising churches have even taken to employing Hebrew-speaking preachers for the purpose. But I'm not into that at all: I just crave winter imagery and sparkly lights, and appreciate a good tune. My interest in Christianity was always purely academic and never really extended beyond the novels of James Joyce- he was so suffused with guilt, I couldn't help but wonder if he was really Jewish.
And I'm not one of those who dig "Chrismukka" - sounds damn scary to me. I absolutely adore lighting Chanuka Candles at my Israeli workplaces and eating doughnuts along with the rest of the nation. But I confess that I'm also excited to have found a Christmas present on my desk this morning in my Palestinian workplace, resplendent with fabulous Chocolate Santa.
So to those of you who do celebrate, have a good one! Everyone else, keep warm.
UPDATE- There's clearly no goodwill to all mankind. I just heard the Crazy Frog's "Jingle Bells". Oh well, at least the Pope has his heart in the right place.
I Confess: I Love Christmas... I confess that for the last few days I've been alternating between The Muppet's Christmas Carol OST and The Best Christmas Album in the World...Ever! playing in my car. I confess that I miss all those songs, and I miss how spirited and warm everyone becomes in England as the shops get increasingly twinkly and tinselly. I confess that my Christmas nostalgia has without a doubt reached new heights since I moved away from all that to the Holy Land. (Apt, I guess!) to the point that I even once contemplated attending Midnight Mass to quench my nostaliga (causing Christian friends back in the UK to raise a confused eyebrow, in view of the fact that I was their Jewish classmate who sat out of daily assembly.) Actually, I'm not alone. Many Israelis have apparently started attending Mass out of curiosity, to the point that some of the local proselytising churches have even taken to employing Hebrew-speaking preachers for the purpose. But I'm not into that at all: I just crave winter imagery and sparkly lights, and appreciate a good tune. My interest in Christianity was always purely academic and never really extended beyond the novels of James Joyce- he was so suffused with guilt, I couldn't help but wonder if he was really Jewish.
And I'm not one of those who dig "Chrismukka" - sounds damn scary to me. I absolutely adore lighting Chanuka Candles at my Israeli workplaces and eating doughnuts along with the rest of the nation. But I confess that I'm also excited to have found a Christmas present on my desk this morning in my Palestinian workplace, resplendent with fabulous Chocolate Santa.
So to those of you who do celebrate, have a good one! Everyone else, keep warm.
UPDATE- There's clearly no goodwill to all mankind. I just heard the Crazy Frog's "Jingle Bells". Oh well, at least the Pope has his heart in the right place.
posted by tafka PP @ 11:26 AM
20 Comments:
At 2:33 PM,
CathyW said…
You are certainly full of Christmas cheer and firing on all cylinders! I hope you have more surprise presents. Any hope of the good old pud??? Enjoy your Christmas . For me, it's a chance to think all those mushy thoughts and make room for the appreciative gestures! Cheers :)
At 9:10 PM,
Anonymous said…
Well my dear we are visiting the queen's glorious kingdom over Christmas, and I can't escape the feeling that everyone here is bloody miserable. Shop decorations are uninspiring, and the weather is depressingly overcast. Next year in Bethlehem.
G
At 12:20 AM,
Anonymous said…
G-d rest ye, merry gentlewoman!
At 12:54 AM,
Babka said…
Ooh, can I borrow those CDs? I've been running around singing christmas carols non-stop, which is kinda lame when you don't know all the words.
At 8:59 AM,
tafka PP said…
Beerli- enjoy your pud...
G- Thanks for that, makes me feel a little better! Hope some sales shopping will help with the non-inspiration. Miss you both.
Anon- you too.
And borrow my music with pleasure, Chavaleh!
At 9:17 AM,
Anonymous said…
I don't miss it for a second!
Bah! Humbug!
Yellow Boy
At 11:26 AM,
Jameel @ The Muqata said…
Parrot: I confess...your posting bothers me. I feel that its great my kids have no clue when Christmas is (in fact, my 11 year old thought it was sukkot time), and I'm thankful they aren't awash in Christmas culture over-exposure.
I have enough problems raising them in Israel with the myriad of challanges that face them daily, without having to worry about Christmas.
Whatever - just my 2 cents.
At 2:14 PM,
tafka PP said…
Why should it bother you, Jameel? Your kids have never known that life, and therefore are very unlikely to suffer any of my misplaced nostalgia (which, in case I didn't make it clear, has nothing to do with Jesus.) Further, the vast majority of curious Israelis who may have attended midnight mass are, from what I understand and have seen, generally not from strong religious homes where every Chag is exciting and fun.
At 2:42 PM,
Jameel @ The Muqata said…
Parrot: I guess it bothers me that Israelis are experimenting with midnight mass, while they have very little knowledge of our own heritage.
When I was in the US a few weeks ago, it was fun (for about a minute) seeing the trees and frosty snowmen, and then it got overly nauseating. Everywhere I went, my hotel, work, every store, every newspaper advert.
Maybe its residual distaste...don't know.
At 3:19 PM,
tafka PP said…
I share in your nausea of overkill- that's probably why I like the little scraps of Xmas cheer on offer here.
As for being bothered by Israelis experimenting with Mass, I think the numbers involved would pale into comparison to the many Jews who hate all aspects of religion due to an inbred and increasing hatred the Orthodox establishment: That is a far sadder phenomenon for my personal contemplation.
At 12:06 AM,
Anonymous said…
Parrot, if I may... from someone who was and isn't.
Jameel - your assumption that Jews might find themselves amongst other religions without knowing much aobut their own is not that "fair".
If you take a look at the perception the majority of young non-religious Israelis have of those that call themselves religious, you may find that they will immediately lump most religous followers into the Haredi sect. Their own experience may be marred with impressions of a fairly restrictive lifestyle, a fair degree of uniformity and less self-expression, and let's not even go into issues such as military service, taxes, politics and such.
So when exposed to something new, they might be a little more prone to examine, explore something that welcomes them with open arms, instead of giving them the proverbial cold shoulder.
And yes, there are religious missionaries, working hard to return those whom have strayed from the path, back into the fold, and they seem to be more complicated amongst themselves and would be better off deciding on what they are trying to do in a semi-unified manner.
I'm guessing that you are of some degree of religiousity, so think about this - do you think that your children would be welcomed to marry into a hardcore Satmer hassidic family? Or would they consider you and your not religious enough?
The infighting of the faith will continue to pose the largest problem we face in these times, and for everyone yearning for the Messiah - good luck, but I think you're in for a much longer wait.
Sorry if I've been yammering on and on, but what you said hit a sore spot. By exploration, we find out more about ourselves, our society, our neighbors and our planet. Even our universe. Would you rather go ostrich and plant your head in the sand and ignore the ever-increasingly developing world around you? It's there - unignorable and getting crazier by the minute. And I'd like to think that it's for the better.
Parting note - The largest Pesach Seder is in India - a "pagan" land, for the sole reason that Jews like hanging out with other Jews, no matter how far away they are from home. Why isn't the largest one in Israel, where we've got tons of Jews?
At 2:02 PM,
JJ said…
"I just crave winter imagery and sparkly lights, and appreciate a good tune."
That's exactly how I feel- you hit the nail on the head.
I love your picture, it's too cute!
At 3:29 PM,
Debbie said…
"I confess that I miss all those songs, and I miss how spirited and warm everyone becomes in England as the shops get increasingly twinkly and tinselly."
ME TOO!!!
I thought i was alone, PP. When I was in Blighty in November, I positively revelled in all the tinsel and sparkly lights around me.
And as for "A Muppet Christmas Carol" --- i think even Dickens would agree that it's an improvement on the original.
Trollmamma
At 7:16 AM,
MC Aryeh said…
"Oh well, at least the Pope has his heart in the right place."
You mean his chest?
I actually feel kind of out of my element around all the Christmas decorations. I am all for snow and jolliness, though. And good tunes...
At 11:43 AM,
tafka PP said…
Miketheman- sorry I missed your bash... good points. I await Jameel's response too.
Ra'anana Ramblings- Thanks- it's "Mr. Cadbury's Parrot". If that means anything!
YB- I was always a Pear Drops Gal myself.
PLTM- Amen. *Love* that film. Especially "Marley and Marley."
McA- funny...
At 12:55 PM,
Anonymous said…
Personally can't stand Christmas. Nothing against Christians doing Christmas, can't stand Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Nazile, Danone, etc version of the holiday, which is all I ever knew from life in Blighty.
As for the comments about Secular Jews being put off Jewish Heritage, and the "danger" of foreign traditions - there is of course a huge heap of truth to this. Many secular Jews are being shunned away from Jewish tradition BY ORTHODOXY!!!! It is because of the tyrannical theocracy of Orthodoxy that many secular Jews scream to escape from the strangling suffocation which the rabbinical establishment has made the Jewish tradition into. While organisations such as Zohar (the aptly named rabbi's organisation which tries to make it easier for secular people to marry in this country) do admirable work, the only thing which can truly save Jewishness for the majority would be a dismantling of the suffocating grip which Orthodoxy has on the tradition, in this country and in Galut.
Only a fair reasonable, sensible and diverse Jewish identity, which is not sticking its ostrich head in the sand will appeal to openminded israelis.
BTW - largest seder in the world is in Kathmandu, Nepal, not India.
H
At 12:12 PM,
tafka PP said…
H- As usual I am in agreement with you (altho not as vehemently in all areas) but I won't have a word said against those delightful Coca Cola CGI Polar Bears.
At 4:35 PM,
Anonymous said…
Nachon - polar bears are cute, even when done by the evil Coca-Capitalistola ppl.
H
At 11:41 AM,
Anonymous said…
Check out the "Off the Derech Test" on this website:
http://www.nerdtests.com/mq/take.php?id=251
Merry Thursday :)
At 10:25 AM,
tafka PP said…
Anon- whoever you are, if you wrote that test, you're very, very funny.
I came up as "Mish Mash". Spot on!
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