NYT: Christmas for religious minorities

[Elmore Furth]

. . . for two groups of people in particular, Christmas is a time to feel like a minority.

First, there are those Christians committed to resisting the holiday’s materialism; second, there are those who do not celebrate Christmas at all.

Janet Gyatso, professor of Buddhist studies at Harvard Divinity School: “I grew up Jewish, and my own practice is a mix of Judaism and Buddhism and being a critical intellectual and not identifying with the practice of any of it, per se. But Buddhism teaches one to be as generous and open-minded as possible. Any remaining feelings of being excluded from Christmas as a kid have simply vanished for me as an adult. One just takes pleasure from it all.”

Angel Falcon, a student at Rutgers School of Law in Newark and a practitioner of Palo Mayombe, a traditional Afro-Cuban religion: “I don’t take offense when people say, ‘Merry Christmas.’ When you’re Latino, Christmas and Jesus play an important role even if you’re not Christian. I like to say that Jesus and I don’t have a problem. His crew can be a little annoying, but he’s fine.”

David Semonian, who works at the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ world headquarters, in Brooklyn Heights: “We don’t celebrate Christmas, and the primary reason is because the Bible doesn’t direct us to do so. Jesus commanded us to commemorate his death, and not his birth. We have the day off, and enjoy getting together with our families and children, but it wouldn’t be a time of giving gifts or any implication we are celebrating the holiday.”




A Variety of Ways Not to Have Christmas

[Delphinus]

1. It can be a bit

disconcerting, being "alone" in not celebrating. And I agree with Angel - I don't mind if people say Merry Christmas to me - I just smile and say thank you.

I've not celebrated Christmas in over two decades, which means I also don't get involved in the holiday gift buying frenzy. Even if I still celebrated the birth of Christ, I don't think I would be buying presents and stuff. It doesn't make any sense.