Words & Banter

RED & BLACK … Carols & Chinese Food?

Design by Sawyer Pennington, Underlying photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash


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I guess you can now relax and enjoy the rest of the year since Thanksgiving and Chanukah are in the rearview mirror.


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Except the holiday season, or “silly season” as I call it, is still very much upon us, and there’s plenty to do, although I’ve gotten the house decorated so at least that’s off my holiday “to do” list.


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It always makes me laugh that a nice Jewish girl dresses her hallway bear in a Santa outfit.


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I’m sorry, but Santas, reindeer, and snowmen aren’t religious. They’re seasonal. It’s fun and festive and makes the house feel warm and cozy.


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Christmas carols are seasonal as well, and you cannot escape them as they seem to be non-stop, which drives me crazy. Although I laugh when I think about their “Jewish connection”.


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What are you talking about?


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The fact that some of the most beloved Christmas carols were written by Jews. Songs like “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” and “Silver Bells.” Even “The Christmas Song” was written by a Jew.


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Leave it to you to make that connection. But you’re right. And probably the most famous of them all – “White Christmas” – had music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. I love that song and the movie with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, which is a holiday classic.


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Even “Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Santa Baby” were written by Jews. But, since many of the great songwriters were Jewish, it is only logical that they wrote songs for holidays.


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True. Irving Berlin also wrote the music for “Easter Parade,” another one of my favorite movies. He’s one of the great American songwriters, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he had a song for every holiday. Although they aren’t religious songs.


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He did write “God Bless America.” But, the Christmas carols written by Jews are not religious. They are about the spirit of the holiday and the season. No lyrics about “shopping until you’re dropping” or “buy yourself a merry little Christmas.”


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It was a different time, and well before Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I wonder what they’d write today, especially given the seemingly endless TV commercials and non-stop emails!


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It may have been a very different time, but the Christmas season has always been the most critical time of year for retailers.


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Please don’t make this a business analysis of the holidays.


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Which is precisely the problem. It has become so commercialized that it has lost its meaning. It is supposed to be about people. And celebration. And traditions.


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Says the woman who doesn’t even like to celebrate Thanksgiving or her birthday.


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I do not like the forced sense of celebration and all the craziness. But, when I was married, and then again when your girls were growing up, I loved watching the excitement of children during the holidays.


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The girls have always loved this time of year, and although Natasha’s now living in England, when Sawyer gets home from college, she’ll be ready to celebrate. And create new holiday memories with her friends.


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We all have holiday memories.


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Even you? I can’t wait to hear this.


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I am sure you have heard this before. I was about five and in the hospital with pneumonia when a gentleman dressed as Santa was delivering gifts. When he came to my bed, I refused the gift telling him I was Jewish and did not celebrate Christmas. Imagine my surprise when he leaned over, pulled his fake white beard away from his face, and whispered in my ear, “It’s ok, so am I.”


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No doubt it was one of the doctors on staff. Leave it to you to find a Jewish Santa.


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Obviously, it is a favorite holiday memory as it has stayed with me all these years. For me, it is the spirit of the holiday. He was doing for others. And, probably allowing some other doctor to be home with his family.


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Careful, you’re beginning to sound warm and fuzzy. Although, that’s what the holidays are about. Memories and traditions.


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They go together like … Christmas and Chinese food.


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I know that connection! Although it’s been years, that YouTube video of Justice Elena Kagan at her Supreme Court confirmation hearing is still one of the funniest things you’ve ever sent me. When she was asked where she was at Christmas and replied, “You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant,” I laughed out loud and shook my head in agreement.


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She replied without any hesitation, and it was hilarious and probably true.


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We save that tradition for New Year’s Eve. We place a huge Chinese take-out order, watch some of our favorite movies, and then try to stay awake until midnight.


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We all have our holiday traditions. Except for one year (thanks, COVID), I have celebrated New Year’s Eve with Diana and John for as long as I can remember.


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The holidays are about time with family and friends and being grateful for all you have. And I think we should close out this year by wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2022.


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In the words of Irving Berlin, “Happy Holiday.”

Want to read other columns? Here's a list.

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Homework never ends; it just is called “research” when you get older.

Over the last few years, Red has come around to Black’s way of thinking and realizes it’s a mindset. And that education is more than the classes you take in school.

September is when students of all ages are back in school, but it’s also National Literacy Month, which is about so much more than reading and writing. Literacy includes things like Digital Literacy, Financial Literacy, Health Literacy, and even News Literacy. (As the linked Conversation Starters indicate, Red was the “poster child” of a highly educated person who lacked many of these basic literacy skills.)

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But you don’t need us to tell you why you feel overwhelmed; you need help dealing with being overwhelmed.

When our new website goes live next year, one of the major sections will be THE DAILY HELP, where you’ll find easy-to-implement tools to get your day back on track and feel more in control.

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We’ve been posting new content on our website multiple times a week for what seems like forever, so it will be strange to only post a few times a month.


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And, do not forget we also have been “feeding the beast” known as social media. But, if it makes you feel any better, we will still be issuing our newsletter every week and providing our followers with inside information on what the New Year will bring – a new website … and our new approach to Red & Black.


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I’m so excited as it’s going to be fun, animated (in more ways than one), and help people take control of their lives vs. their life controlling them. Which, to some extent, is what we’ve always tried to do.


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Yes, except our current site has almost too much information, and you do not know where to turn first. Or, where to go if you are looking for specific help.


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I know when I first had my crisis, I turned to you, looking for you to tell me what to do. Instead, all I got was questions. Lots and lots of questions. But those questions were how you helped guide me. I think that’s why our book became a bestseller … because people could join me on my journey.
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