By Jessi Gilbert
Ah, the holiday season; a time for great sales, gifts, Chinese food and movie theaters. It’s a time of year I find myself growing more and more bitter the closer it gets to December 25. After Thanksgiving, it’s just Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. I realize Hanukkah takes place on a different date each year and is harder to keep track of, but, come on America, show a little love for the Jews.
If Christmas decorations go up at the end of November and come down at the beginning of January, that makes almost two months of decor for a one-day holiday. Hanukkah has eight days, so, Hanukkah decorations should be up for sixteen months.
When was the last time you saw Hanukkah decorations?
In my college lifestyle, I am only able to afford an 18-channel cable package. This winter is the first time I have stayed in Savannah and I am realizing how much I long for more channels. What is with ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas?” Is it the Hebrew-Blues-Pandora station kicking in, or does production quality go out the window for Christmas movies? I mean, “Santa Paws?” Really?
When I find myself watching the Home Shopping Network instead of ABC Family in the middle of the day, we’ve got problems.
This year, Hanukkah came December 1, leaving us Jews ample time to begin the bitterness. We didn’t get the sale prices on our Hanukkah gifts. We didn’t get the decorations at our favorite stores. And we didn’t get recovery time from Thanksgiving dinner.
Yes, Jewish-Americans celebrate Thanksgiving.
What we do get in late December is sales for ourselves, the option to avoid the mall and great Chinese food before a movie on Christmas day.
