18 Signs You Grew Up Celebrating Chanukah and Christmas
Permanent linkThis time of year, the only thing going around the Jewish community more than influenza and greasy latke smell is Christmas envy.
It's okay – Christmas is pretty cool. Just ask your friends who grew up with both Jewish and Christian family members. This post goes out to all of us pulling double duty (and double the presents!) this Holiday Season.
1. Your Christmas tree was covered in Star of David and dreidel ornaments
2. You made your Girl Scout troop sing Chanukah "carols" too
3. You eat a gourmet family meal, not Chinese food, on Christmas
4. You left Santa latkes instead of cookies
5. Your holiday decorations were a hot mess of blue, red, and green
There was probably a leg lamp. Or your family just said "forget it" and went all out for Halloween.
6. You know that Chanukah cookies make the best snack while watching Miracle on 34th Street
7. You know how to water a Christmas tree, and can't understand why your Jewish friends think that means "misting it" with a spray bottle
8. ALL THE PRESENTS
9. You know it's not impossible to light a Christmas tree on fire with a menorah
10. Your family sends out holiday cards like this:
(My family literally sent this card out at least one year)
11. YOU invented Chrismukkah, not Seth Cohen
12. You prepared elaborate Powerpoints for your friends to scientifically prove how you could celebrate both holidays
13. You strongly identified with Tommy Pickles from Rugrats, who also celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas
14. You can't believe kids today get books about combined holidays
The best your parents could do was read Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins back-to-back with The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
15. You designed your own multi-holiday ugly sweaters
16. Your Elf on a Shelf drinks eggnog with your Mensch on a Bench
17. Underground dreidel gambling rings at Christmas parties
18. You know there's no comparing what you feel when the house is lit by the glow of the menorah, and what waking up on Christmas morning feels like. They feel like home, like family, and like the perfect fit