Hanukkah begins on Christmas this year, marking a rare coincidence of the Jewish and Christian holidays, which occur according to different calendars. The alignment invites reflection on how two traditions can inspire each other. The Orthodox Jewish community I grew up in rejected Christmas lights as signs of unwanted assimilation.
We lighted the menorahs in our windows and doorways for the holiday’s eight nights, keeping the tradition simple and understated. Any more showy displays would have felt like crossing a line. Still, as a child, I secretly admired the glowing homes of my neighbors.
But those lights weren’t for us — or so I was taught. Decades later, I stand in my cul-de-sac and stare at my neighbors’ dazzling home, with warm, sparkling lights wrapped around the trees. They decorate their home for Christmas because it brings them joy — and, honestly, it brings joy to everyone who passes by.
Apart from menorahs and basic landscape lighting, most of the Jewish homes on the street stay dark during Hanukkah. We keep them that way out of habit, tradition and a lingering belief that holiday lights are “not Jewish.” My kids don’t observe the rigid boundaries of my childhood, though.
When we drive through the neighborhood, they’re drawn to the lights like moths to a flame, pressing their faces against the car windows and pointing out their favorite houses. “Why don’t we have lights like that?” my 12-year-old, Rosa, asks, her voice full of wonder and b.
