The Jews and Christmas: A Deep and Complicated Romance
– By Yaniv Romanowski –
Christmas is one of the most festive holidays in North America. As soon as fall begins, you start seeing the department stores bringing in the decorations, trees, wreaths, and lights. As the holiday draws closer the festive smells and sounds dominate every bookstore and coffee shop. It’s this time around that Chanukah rises up and shines its eight nights of miraculous lights, and as hopeful as those lights are they are often dwarfed by the giant presence of Christmas. At the core of Christmas is the birth of a real sabra, a little Jewish baby boy from the house of David, the tribe of Judah, born in the city of Beit Lechem (Bethlehem), Israel. Believe it or not, Yeshua is not the only Jew on the Christmas scene. Prior to exploring the Jewish influence on Christmas we need to consider the historical relationship between the Jewish people and Christmas.
