People tend to have strong opinions about whether or not it’s okay for kids who are being raised as Jews to celebrate holidays such as Easter and Christmas. For many, not celebrating these holidays is a matter of cultural pride. I would argue that non-religious aspects of these holidays have become a part of American culture and that we should embrace these fun traditions just as we would our own.
That said, this year Easter came and went without my 18-month-old daughter Zoe even noticing. Yet, next year, when she learns about Easter in school, I feel strongly that she should partake in egg coloring, chocolate bunnies, egg hunts and whatever else one does on Easter (with the exception of going to church). I did these things as a child but I do remember certain relatives and friends reacting with shock and disapproval when they heard this. And we all have that place where we draw the line. My mom was happy to decorate eggs with me and let me hang a stocking for Santa but looked at our friends’ yearly Christmas tree with disapproval. I would imagine that over the years we will experience some negative reactions as well.
There seems to be a widespread idea that Jewish kids feel left out and sad around the time of these holidays because they don’t partake in the fun. I think for the most part this is a huge myth. Maybe there are some kids that feel this way but generally I don’t think that for most it is really that big of a deal. So my decision to introduce these traditions to Zoe is not because I don’t want her to feel left out when her peers are painting eggs or hanging stockings. Rather, I think any sort of festivity is worth joining in on. Why miss out on anything? After all, in our family we also love to celebrate the Hindu festivals of Holi and Diwali and any other cultural tradition we can get our hands on.
