tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23874041.post1845499543361345440..comments2009-12-28T20:25:41.659-05:00Chavivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03332712096317076482noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23874041.post-1835200918892425042009-12-28T20:08:03.427-05:002009-12-28T20:08:03.427-05:00When I was a kid I loooooved Christmas, but as I got to my early teens I started to resent my mother in a big way for forcing me to celebrate it. At Shabbat lunch on the 26th, I found myself being the only one at the table talking about how much I hate Christmas. To me, not having to do Christmas anymore is one of the best parts about reconnecting with my Jewish identity and converting. <br /><br />Have I mentioned it&#39;s great to have you back?Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14375431332942195656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23874041.post-13117827714873706992009-12-27T13:04:47.870-05:002009-12-27T13:04:47.870-05:00I definitely accidentally deleted this comment, sorry DR/Karen!<br /><br />Hello!<br /><br />(also welcome back)<br /><br />I dunked April 2008...and I&#39;m going to be 49 in March...Although we, (my husband and I) live a Jewish life...and I love my life... I have past experiences, memories...etc. I also have living family, including a mother and father, siblings and a child etc....all Catholic...(except the child....)<br />I can&#39;t erase my past...and would fight with anyone who would tell me that I had to...I have too many emotional/precious memories attached to my previous life...and just because I remember my family, childhood and dear ones now of blessed memory does not make me a bad jew....<br /><br />my memories from childhood are catholic....that is a fact...<br /><br />I some times get sad around my new holidays (Jewish) because I don&#39;t have childhood/family memories to connect to....the folks around me often comment about my gusto for delving into each and every holiday....but that is because I need to make new memories, to engrain new experiences....<br /><br />but the fact that I have a history of christmas still makes some uncomfortale.....but that is their problem...<br /><br />the first year, prior to my marriage was the hardest, not yet converted, in the no-mans land of studying for conversion...<br /><br />my daughter was furious with me (she is now 21) for stealing chrismas from her...her father, my ex, is a non practing Jew....<br /><br />the next two years she got better and better with accecpting my choices....and I got better at explaining my emotions/experiences etc to her and others....<br /><br />When anyone converts so many are affected....non the less ourselves...it is a major re-boot of the self...kindness to self is importaint...and ultimatly warm memories is not the same as regret, confusion or any other potential negitive emotion....<br /><br />embrase your memories...rejoice in your choices, now and to come....<br />G*d knows what is in my heart....and I don&#39;tthink he would want me to forget where I have been because it only helps me on my road to where I want to be!<br /><br />Dunking Rachael<br />AKA KarenChavivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03332712096317076482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23874041.post-19378850885898469512009-12-25T12:38:31.882-05:002009-12-25T12:38:31.882-05:00Sort of related, I liked what this advice columnist had to say. Basically the query was from a non-Jewish woman who&#39;s family observes a VERY secular Christmas and her Jewish boyfriend (also not religious)won&#39;t allow her to have a tree of any kind. Jews view Christmas as a religious holiday whether or not the non-Jews they know go to church or not. Its hard to acknowledge the idea of a completely secular Christmas I guess. Here&#39;s the clip: http://slatev.com/player.html?id=58110589001SusQHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17084374785596604807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23874041.post-71233504388101335552009-12-25T02:46:29.259-05:002009-12-25T02:46:29.259-05:00Hey Chavi - thank you, thank you for this post. <br /><br />As a newly unwrapped Jew, I have been having some funny feelings over the past few days. In my family, Christmas was definitely not about the religious aspect, just the relaxing, the eating, the presents, the family time. So I too have fond memories of it, but I don&#39;t actually miss it. I guess it helps that my OH just isn&#39;t into Christmas - dark comments about commercialism, pressure and forced gaiety spring to mind. <br /><br />So, today is just another day except I get to not go to work and of course the magic of Shabbat begins mid afternoon. with a yummy meal to look forward to which, for once, I have had time to prepare and will be ready in good time for candle lighting. <br /><br />Shabbat Shalom, be well.shavuatovhttp://shavuatov.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com