Well the update to the dinner party. Power was out this morning. Party starts at two .
High hopes .
It was real shitty . Heavy wet snow . Finally maneuvered the snowblower 200 feet down the driveway. Up and down and up and down the approach Meanwhile Pacific power is fixing a line in front of the property. 5 trucks with great workers .
Snow blower throws the belt at 430 . I get the shovel out and say to myself. It’s not going to beat me . Shoveling wide enough to back my truck out . Time to get out .I’m coming in hot .
I made it to the street. Yay .
I’m having steak and eggs for dinner.
And yes there was wine and vodka. Cheers.
Didn’t make the party.
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Hope you make the next dinner party! Too bad it didn’t work out.
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Crap happened. Yes I will .
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Sometimes! @emglow101 is in Northern California, so it’s not …a wet cold…I don’t even know what it is, or what it’s not. I’m thinking it’s a really special place. Sunset zone 2b? I have no idea, but I’d like to.
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Mmmm… Tzimmes! If you have access to the 2nd Ave Deli Cookbook, the sweet potato tzimmes is pretty good. I make it on occasion. I may have to make it soon now that it’s on my mind.
A friend of mine would bring some of her grandmother’s chocolate covered matzo for us to snack on. I’ve only had it around Passover, but I can’t see why it couldn’t be a Hanukkah treat as well, providing I could get some matzo this time of year.
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I’m sorry you didn’t make the party. But your dilemma has spawned some good conversation. So at least you didn’t miss that part of the party?
Bear with me… I’m trying to put a good spin on what must have been a frustrating day for you 
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Make the matzoh crack but try replacing it with crackers or Graham crackers! I’m going to use some festive Ritz crackers!
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I’ll just leave this here:
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Here I have to disagree with you. If one wants to be a nice person, learn enough to do it right. Don’t be lazy, wish everyone everywhere a merry Christmas whether or not they celebrate it, and then feel good about what a good person you are. You aren’t. I don’t think people in the majority group ever feel this in a way that people in the minority group do. It’s the assumption, the lack of effort, the lack frankly of caring that others might not be and think like you that is endlessly frustrating.
And I love some plants, but being a Jew in a super Christian country, I go out of my way to avoid all Christmassy things even plants like poinsettias. If I didn’t, I would just feel like there wasn’t any boundary at all and I might as well just meld right into all the Santa and Jesus stuff. That’s only my personal experience, but I don’t want a decorated tree, I don’t want stockings, I don’t want a poinsettia, and I don’t want people wishing me a merry Christmas… Bah humbug.
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Nobody, especially a stranger, is required to know my belief systems and inner thoughts (I dont want most people to know those things).
If someone takes a moment to send me a greeting with good intent I appreciate the intent. Theres not much good intent left. If someone gives me a gift that doesn’t serve me, I pass it on to spread that good intent somewhere else (give to a friend or donate to charity)
I dont intentionally wish someone good wishes for something i know they dont celebrate, but their inner thoughts and belief systems arent my business either.
Intent matters more than the manifestation of it.
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People aren’t mind readers. When someone wishes me “Merry Xmas” or “Happy Hanukkah” I return the greeting, despite the fact that I am about as secular as they come (are atheists still considered a minority?).
That because it’s generally said in the spirit of the season, not to start a fundamental debate – so I’m most certainly not going to launch into a diatribe of how ridiculous I find the concept of religion.
As with most things in life, one can choose to be offended by anything at all time, or one can take someone’s nicety at face value & be friendly in response.
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Loved it 
I get where you’re coming from. I’m also a Jew in a Christian nation and the intensity with which everything is “Christmas” is felt.
That said, the annoyance/frustration has faded-- in part because anything that takes away some of the misery of the dark days is welcome. (No poinsettias or anything poisonous for cats though, please.) And I find the “happy Hanukkah” thing well meant, but as always, I’d rather have unproblematic time away during the High Holy Days or Passover; getting excited about a minor holiday (by comparison) because of the coincidence with a major one that gets full recognition and is part of the secular calendars is what bugs me.
I do think, though, that having gentiles comment on how Jews might or should feel is a bit much. Being part of a majority culture, even if one thinks that not believing (being secular or an atheist) is somehow equivalent does not offer the full understanding for what some Jews might be feeling here. At least, what you’re feeling.
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I am speaking as someone who is Catholic who is usually taken for Jewish, who has a last name that is Jewish around 50 percent of the time, depending on the region. I am not upset when I’m wished a Happy Hanukkah.
I’m not speaking for anyone other than myself, and how I deal with holiday greetings.
It’s not the same situation, of course, since I’m a Christian being taken as Jewish in a diverse, multicultural city whose population is predominantly non-church going Christian who put up Christmas trees,etc and/or Secular.
This is a YMMV situation, whatever one’s belief system.
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A very seasonal example of thread drift 
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But… did anyone tell anyone how they should or should not feel? Aren’t we just expressing how we ourselves feel re: holiday greetings? Maybe I missed something 
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It’s tough being a discussion board in the 21st C.
Funny to see how the chat has moved away from the original post:
I am invited to a dinner party Saturday . Every thing is provided. Was told don’t bring anything .
I will never show up empty handed. What should I bring .? They have way to much wine . And I have no time to make a dish.
to some form of cultural discussion about Xmas 
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