Asking the Clergy: Feeling left out of Hanukkah, Christmas

The weeks leading up to Hanukkah’s first night, Dec. 18, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25, can be joyous for those who celebrate these holy days, but less enjoyable for those who are not Christian or Jewish. This week’s clergy discuss how people of other faiths can enjoy the season’s secular aspects, join in the holiday spirit by focusing on good works according to their own traditions, or experience the festivities as a friend and observer.

Bob Yugi Festa

Zen practitioner

My feeling is there are very few who feel left out during the December holidays. I say that for two reasons. The Christmas holidays have been culturally secularized. Think Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Christmas luncheons for employees. On Christmas Eve, NASA even tracks and reports on Santa’s progress bringing presents to good little girls and boys. And, nowadays, instead of “Merry Christmas,” cards and in-person greetings often wish the recipient “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings.”

The second reason is that most religions have a December celebration either directly or indirectly associated with light. This goes back to ancient times, when people celebrated the winter solstice based upon the idea that the sun, which has been appearing for fewer and fewer hours and shorter days since the summer solstice, will indeed be coming back. In fact, we Zen Buddhists have our own celebration to enjoy during the holiday season: The Buddha’s Enlightenment on Dec. 8. We usually dedicate that day’s meditation to The Buddha.

Anu Jain of Jericho

Member, Jain Center of America, Flushing, Queens   

Jains actually welcome this holiday season although we don’t celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah. But the extra days off from work and school allow us to attend to our own spiritual activities, such as going to Derasar, a Jain temple.

Quite a few Jains spend the holiday on a pilgrimage in India, the nation where our faith originated, to purify our souls by taking part in puja prayers, meditation and volunteering. Those unable to travel overseas for pilgrimage can spend their time learning and following the Jain teachings in Long Island spiritual camps offered by the Dharampur, India-based Shrimad Rajchandra Mission. 

On our own, we have more time for community and charity work, such as preparing fresh meals and donating them to shelters and individuals in need. By helping to bring brightness into others' lives, by hopefully lifting their burdens and lightening their hearts, we are able celebrate the magic of the holidays even if we don’t ascribe to the religious beliefs around Christmas and Hanukkah. And indeed, many Jains will begin the new year, 2023, in our own traditional way with a visit to the temple for a puja worship ritual.

Marie McNair

Secretary, Regional Baha'i Council of the Northeastern States, Bellport 

One of the major teachings of the Baha’i Faith is that religion is progressive, that truth has been revealed by God over time through a series of messengers such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed and Baha’u’llah, our faith’s founder. The message brought by each suited the needs for humanity’s spiritual and material progress in a particular time and place.

Because Baha’is accept all religions of the past, one might wonder if we also celebrate their holidays. The answer is that Baha’is do not celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Hannukah among themselves, but we are happy to celebrate them with friends of various religions, particularly because they honor the truth of every religion. However, if we were to celebrate the holidays of all religions, we would be in a constant state of celebration.

Still, Baha’is do not feel left out during the holiday season. With the coming of Baha’u’llah as the latest of the divine messengers to bring forth a world religion and a new age of human development, we observe the holidays on the Baha’i calendar, including the five days of Ayyam-i-Ha in February, when we give gifts, provide hospitality, have parties and engage in special acts of charity.