My Lord and Taylor
OK, that was fun. I'm just back from the Chrismukkah promotion trip to New York where I did a series of book signing events at Lord and Taylor. While there, I also did a few interviews, including one inside the hallowed halls of New York's NPR studios. I had lunch with my editor Ann and publicist Claire, walked the streets in a downpour chewing on a folded slice of Rays pizza (orange grease dripping down my wrist) and munched on poppy seed bagels from H&H (it's the water). I slurped awesome hot and sour soup after midnight, got to ride around in big black limos, order room service, sipped glasses of Pinot Noir at the lobby bar, met lots of really cool people, and autographed several hundred books. All of it, ALL expenses paid. It was such an ego trip.
And at some point, I realized how much I do miss New York. I wished Minna and Michelle were with me.
In-between scheduled events, I prowled the streets of Manhattan... an activity that just isn't as compelling here in Bozeman. It's holiday season in New York City, the streets illed with garlands and green, bell ringing Santas, animated victorian window displays on 5th Avenue, Herald Square grid-locked with busy shoppers and workers readying Macy's for the big parade this Thursday. The empire state building all lit up for the holidays.
Now, back home, it's back to a slower routine. I brought the Chrismukkah store orders over to Wanda at the fullfillment service, spent the rest of the day at Eco Auto, catching up on phone messages, posting updates to the website and talking "green car" politics with the people who wandered in. I bought a DVD of "Who Killed the Electric Car" and screened it for anyone who wanted to watch. It's a film that must be seen... it would make an excellent double feature with "An Inconvenient Truth."
I don't know what to expect this year. It's still early. I'm very focused on getting the word out about my zero emmissions electric cars, and not so much on Chrismukkah. I'm sure that will change after turkey day.
Walmart made the news last week. Apparently, they've caved under pressure and will be wishing shoppers a "Merry Christmas." Forward into the past.
posted by Ron at 6:59 PM
7 Comments:
All I see is Christ being taken out of too many things. No good will come of that, Just to make man happy.
Merging to distinctly separate religious holidays is absolutely ridiculous! Christmas is about Christ and this is totally offensive to me that it would be merged with a Jewish holiday at all in order to create something new that doesn't include the purpose of CHRISTmas to begin with. Really sad the lengths people will go to in order to make a buck. I hope that no one embraces this ridiculous idea any more than you 2 have done.
From one New York Jew to another, allow me remind you: This is Christmastime. Judaism does not have an important December holiday so why do this? Isn’t it bad enough that non-Jews mistakenly believe Chanukah (a minor festival) to be the “Jewish Christmas?” Wouldn’t you rather encourage your Christian wife and friends to celebrate their holiday without blending it for your benefit?
Oh, nevermind – it's probably more important that you make a buck off of an idea you stole from a nighttime soap for teens. I guess I should be thankful you’ve so far kept your hands off of Passover.
Merging to distinctly separate religious holidays is absolutely ridiculous! Christmas is about Christ and this is totally offensive to me that it would be merged with a Jewish holiday at all in order to create something new that doesn't include the purpose of CHRISTmas to begin with. Really sad the lengths people will go to in order to make a buck. I hope that no one embraces this ridiculous idea any more than you 2 have done.
Clearly, Anonymous, you dont' seem to have done your Chrismukkah research beyond watching TV. A scan of the website (or a quick read of my book) will lead you to the Chrismukkah timeline outliining the "faux holiday's" true origin (see Ghosts of Chrismukkah Past on the website).
No, we didn't "steal the idea from an nighttime soap for teens." Chrismukkah dates back to late 1880's Germany where is was known as Weihnukkah. (LIteral translation -Weihnachten is German for Christmas) My family is German-Jewish. My relatives recall celebrating Hanukkah with a tree... at least prior to the Nazi era.
When I was growing up we used the satiric terms Hannumas and Chrismukkah interchangably.
Then in the 1990's NPR "Car Talk" aired the famous Chrismukkah fake press release - a commentary on the commercializing of the holiday. It's been used in print elsewhere... years before Seth Cohen's holiday. - ED.
Ron wrote (or maybe it was Ed?)
"Clearly, Anonymous, you dont' seem to have done your Chrismukkah research beyond watching TV. A scan of the website (or a quick read of my book) will lead you to the Chrismukkah timeline outliining the "faux holiday's" true origin (see Ghosts of Chrismukkah Past on the website)"
First, you may call me Eva – I didn't know how to provide my name without an e-mail address the first time I wrote, and I didn't think to sign it, but if you check the IP address, you will see I’m the New York Jew who wrote above.
Secondly, I don't watch "the OC" but I did get this from your website"
"One sleep deprived evening, we were slumped on the sofa, watching TV. The holiday episode of one of our guiity pleasures, "The O.C." was on and "Chrismukkah" was being celebrated by the Jewish/Protestant family on the show. When I heard Seth Cohen say Chrismukah, I had to laugh at this inside joke. Like many others, I had received emailings of the widely ciruclated "Chrismukkah press release" (originally a satiric jab at monopolization of the media - see below) we appreciated the tongue-in-cheek, ironic reference to the holidays as celebrated in sunny Southern California. The name had resonanted with us... a newly minted interfaith family. Michelle - midwestern bred daughter of a Protestant minister, and me - a New York City Jewish boy - had a few things in common with the O.C.'s Cohen family."
My sincere apologies. You didn't steal the idea from the OC, it was the OC episode was what gave you the idea there was profit to be made here. Sorry to have gotten it wrong. But how fortunate for you that were able to back it all up by implying you have a personal connection to Weihnukkah! (Hey, thank goodness for Cousin Roger, right? Yes I read your site. You might consider using a spell check.)
I wish you didn't say elsewhere on your site that you and your wife are a typical interfaith family – you are not. My husband is not Jewish, but our children are. Other interfaith families are raising their kids as Unitarians, Episcopals, or with other forms Christianity. Of course, there are couples like you two who raise their kids mish mash with no firm belief in anything, but those couples are competing with each other at the kid's expense and are in no way "typical." It's possible to raise kids one religion while allowing them experience the other culturally through extended family. But not if neither parent is willing to budge.
I really don't care how you make your money (although it pains me to see what passes as print-worthy by the publishing industry these days) but what you're doing here projects numerous incorrect messages on an unsuspecting public (that Chanukah is a major Holiday, that all interfaith families are like yours) and it is simply not fair. It's not fair to Christians (both religious and cultural) for whom this IS a very important time of year, and it is not fair to anyone to further the notion that Chanukah (the commemoration of a fight for religious freedom, ironically) is an any way equatable with Christmas.
Let your wife and daughter have their Christmas. I'm sorry that you are so unhappy with Judaism year-round that you feel left out this time of year, but most Jews don't feel that way - even the minimally observant know that Jews don't have an important December holiday. – Eva
Thanks, Ava, for your well expressed thoughts. Your reply warranted a more indepth response, So I've answered your criticism (variations of which I've heard a few too many times over the years), in a new post.
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