For me, Christmas was always something other people did. I grew up in a Jewish home, so I watched the holiday’s rituals unfold from afar, as people on TV and in the homes of friends hung ornaments on a tree, unwrapped presents, drank eggnog and wore ugly reindeer sweaters.
As a kid in the United States, it’s literally impossible to avoid Christmas, unless you live in certain Hasidic neighborhoods of Brooklyn. The music blasts from every radio station and department store, and the shopping mall Santas beckon you nearer. I secretly wanted to celebrate Christmas so I could be like everyone else. The Hanukkah candles were nice, but their soft glow paled in comparison with the tinsel and bulbs of the Christmas tree.
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