I have a tiny, understated Star of David on a fine chain I wear most of the time. Usually, it falls under my shirt, and people can’t see it. I got it as a bat mitzvah gift. It’s, IIRC, 12k gold.
Sometime in early December, I swap it for a gaudy, big, blue, steel SD medallion on a bead chain. It’s too heavy to fall under my clothes.
Someone wished me a “Merry Christmas” for the first time yesterday, so it’s time to break out the big, obnoxious star.
I wear it for the duration of the relentless season of mirth, which is to say, until about Jan. 1. Usually, I have it on earlier than this, but the masses have been slow on the uptake with the “Merry Christmases.” I got lots of “Happy Holidays,” but I let those slide, because there is Thanksgiving, and goyim think Hanukkah is a big deal holiday on the Jewish calendar. I wouldn’t mind so much if even one single goy had wished me “Happy Holidays,” or “Happy New Year,” or something around the High Holy Days, but even the goyim I work with at a Jewish preschool couldn’t seem to figure out that this might be nice.
So, the giant-ass, obnoxious Star of David is to ward off the “Merry Christmases.” It pretty much works. It also pretty much means that even after Dec. 20 (when Hanukkah is over) through Dec. 25, people will STILL be wishing me “Happy Hanukkah.”
Maybe I should get a shirt made that says “Hanukkah, 2017 – Dec. 12-20.”
I grew up in a neighborhood that was mostly Jewish. My family celebrated Santa Claus, and my mom lit her menorah candles. We did not attend church/shul. I used to get the holidays confused. Wishing my friends a “Happy Yom Kipur” was pretty common.
Why is it an issue? If I was wished a happy “insert faith holiday of choice”, I wouldn’t care enough to have to make my (lack of) religion apparent to avoid further occurrences.
When I’m at work as a store cashier and someone wishes me a “Happy Holiday” I mentally change “Holi” to “Birth” and say “thank you.” My December 25th B-day is the only real holiday I celebrate this month.
Christmas lasts till January 10! Hang in there
“In 2017 we have a unique situation. If Epiphany is transferred to the Sunday that falls on January 7th or 8th, then the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus is celebrated on the following Monday instead of the next Sunday. So, this year, Ordinary Time begins on the Tuesday after Epiphany.”
On the Monday after Thanksgiving I get together with a bunch of guys to celebrate “not having to be thankful until next year”. This year was our 4th consecutive get-together.
I like being wished a Merry Christmas, and I always give 'em one right back. The vast majority of folks are offering it in the spirit of the holiday (peace on earth, good will towards men, all that jazz), and I like the spirit of the holiday.
Sure, it means that some few nutjobs will be taking it as a victory against the ‘war on Christmas’ when I reciprocate, but I don’t see any point in caring about what they think.
Let the goyim have their fun. I really do think most of them mean ‘happy holidays’ even when they’re saying ‘merry Christmas.’
I hope the OP is joking, but it’s hard to tell. I can’t imagine being upset by being wished a “Happy <insert religious holiday here>” when living in a country that is overwhelming made up of people who practice that religion. It’s generally not meant as attempt at conversion or anything.
I don’t care if strangers wish me a Merry Christmas, but with people who know I’m Jewish do so I gently remind them that I don’t celebrate Christmas. Not a huge deal, but a battle I sometimes choose to take on.
