Ho-Ho Hanukkah! How to Balance Hanukkah and Christmas Celebrations
by Christina Katz
Talk to Each Other First and Last
Holiday joy can be doubled when you choose to light the menorah and decorate the Christmas tree. I was raised Catholic and my husband is Jewish. We share the same beliefs about diversity, tolerance and spirituality, and that’s what we intend to pass on to our daughter. Here are a few tips based on what our family has learned about creating our own version of happy holidays.
The bottom line on family celebrations, holiday or otherwise, is to do whatever you and your spouse deem best for your family. The only way to come to an understanding about what this means is to discuss it with each other. Be prepared for this to be an ongoing conversation, and probably one that you revisit each year.
18 Atlanta Parent December 2020
Protect Your Joint Point of View Never let bossy or opinionated family members horn in on conversations that rightly belong between you and your partner. Your spouse is the person whose opinion you should value most. Your kids come next and the grandparents after them. Don’t treat your parents like children or allow them to treat you like a child. This behavior will only create conflicts between you and your spouse.
Ignore Disapproving Outsiders Never apologize for being an interfaith family, even if people in your extended family or circle of close friends do not approve of your union. You are not seeking their permission – as Perchick expressed so boldly in “Fiddler On The Roof” – you are asking for their blessing. Creating harmonious and joyful dual holidays in your own home is your parental right, even if it means agreeing to disagree with certain members of your extended family. atlantaparent.com
