Just in case anyone asks you what the difference is between Christmas and
Chanukah, you will know what and how to answer.
1. Christmas is one day, same day every year, December 25. Jews also love
December 25th. It's another paid day off work. We go to the movies and out
for Chinese food and Israeli dancing. Chanukah is 8 days. It starts the
evening of the 24th of Kislev, whenever that falls. No one is ever sure.
Jews never know until a non-Jewish friend asks when Chanukah starts, forcing
us to consult a calendar so we don't look like idiots. We all have the
same calendar, provided free with a donation to the Canadian Jewish Congress,
the kosher butcher or the local funeral homes (especially in Florida).
2. Christmas is a major holiday. Chanukah is a minor holiday with the
same theme as most Jewish holidays. They tried to kill us,
we survived, let's eat.
3. Christians get wonderful presents such as jewelry, perfume, stereos,
etc. Jews get practical presents such as underwear, socks or the collected
works of the Rambam, which looks impressive on the bookshelf
4. There is only one way to spell Christmas. No one can decide how to
spell Chanukah, Chanukkah, Chanukka, Channukah, Hanukah, Hannukah, etc.
5. Christmas is a time of great pressure for husbands and boyfriends.
Their partners expect special gifts. Jewish men are relieved of that burden.
No one expects a diamond ring on Hanukah
6. Christmas brings enormous electric bills. Candles are used for
Chanukah. Not only are we spared enormous electric bills, but we get to feel
good
about not contributing to the energy crisis.
7. Christmas carols are beautiful: Silent Night, Come All Ye Faithful.
Chanukah songs are about dreidels made from clay or having a party and
dancing the hora. Of course, we
are secretly pleased that many of the beautiful carols were composed and
written by our tribal brethren. And don't Barbara Streisand and Neil
Diamond sing them beautifully?
8. A home preparing for Christmas smells wonderful - like the sweet smell
of cookies and cakes baking. Happy people are gathered around in festive
moods. A home preparing for Chanukah smells of oil, potatoes and onions.
The home,as always, is full of loud people all talking at once
9. Christian women have fun baking Christmas cookies. Jewish women burn
their eyes and cut their hands grating potatoes and onions for latkes on
Chanukah. Another reminder of our suffering through the ages.
10. Parents deliver presents to their children during Christmas. Jewish
parents have no qualms about withholding a gift on any of the eight nights.
11. The players in the Christmas story have easy to pronounce names such
as Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The players in the Chanukah story are Antiochus
, Judah Maccabee and Matta whatever. No one can spell it or pronounce it.
On the plus side, we can tell our friends anything and they believe we are
wonderfully versed in our history
12. Many Christians believe in the virgin birth. Jews think, "Yossela,
Bubela, snap out of it. Your woman is pregnant, you didn't sleep with her,
and now you want to blame G-d? Here's the number of my shrink.
13. In recent years, Christmas has become more and more commercialized.
The same holds true for Chanukah, even though it is a minor holiday. It
makes sense. How could we market a major holiday such as Yom Kippur? Forget
about celebrating. Think observing. Come to synagogue, starve yourself for
27 hours, become one with your dehydrated soul, beat your chest, confess
your sins, a guaranteed good time for you and your family. Tickets a mere
$200 per person. Better stick with Chanukah.
This explains a lot. Happy Chanukah and
Merry Christmas
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