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Anonymous
Anonymous asked in Society & CultureReligion & Spirituality · 8 years ago

How come when I told a Christian happy Hanukkah on the week of Hanukkah he replies Merry Christmas?

I simply don't get it, I understand the fact that they want to celebrate Christmas regardless of Jesus being a hebrew but if I say happy Hanukkah how come most of them say merry Christmas instead of saying happy Hanukkah?

13 Answers

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  • 8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Because we're not jewish. We have heard of Hanukkah but never studied or had a class on it. It's safer to just say "merry christmas" because we know what the holiday is about and what it means.

  • ?
    Lv 6
    8 years ago

    He's just trying to be merry.

    For Christians, Christmas isn't just the week of the 25th. It's basically from Black Friday until New Years. So, your Hanukkah overlaps his Christmas and if you say "happy Hanukkah" then he, being Christian, will reply "Merry Christmas".

    Are you choosing to be offended?

    I certainly hope the Christian man didn't act like a jerk and rudely reply "Merry Christmas" with hateful sarcasm.

  • 8 years ago

    Did the person know that you're a Christian, or that you celebrate Christmas rather than Hanukkah?

  • 8 years ago

    Many Christians haven't heard of Hanukkah, and those that have aren't real sure what it's about. So they fall back on what they are comfortable with. They really aren't trying to be rude, just safe and comfortable in a world full of stress and confusion.

    I hope this helps.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    Because you were being polite to them by wishing happy Hanukkah, and since they can tell you're not Jewish, they wished you a merry Christmas. What's your difficulty understanding that? Yes, Jesus was a Jew, but he didn't follow the Jewish faith. He was a REBEL!

  • 8 years ago

    Eid Mubarak happy diwali

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    It is appropriate just to want any person a completely satisfied Hanukkah ! Here is some expertise on what Hanukkah is: In 168 B.C.E. The Jewish Temple was seized with the aid of Syrian-Greek squaddies and dedicated to the worship of the god Zeus. This upset the Jewish folks, but many have been afraid to battle again for worry of reprisals. Then in 167 B.C.E. The Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus made the observance of Judaism an offense punishable through death. He additionally ordered all Jews to worship Greek gods. Jewish resistance began within the village of Modiin, near Jerusalem. Greek squaddies forcibly gathered the Jewish villages and informed them to bow all the way down to an idol, then eat the flesh of a pig – both practices that are forbidden to Jews. A Greek officer ordered Mattathias, a excessive Priest, to acquiesce to their needs, but Mattathias refused. When a different villager stepped forward and provided to cooperate on Mattathias' behalf, the excessive Priest grew to become outraged. He drew his sword and killed the villager, then grew to become on the Greek officer and killed him too. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked the rest soldiers, killing all of them. Mattathias and his loved ones went into hiding in the mountains, where other Jews wishing to combat towards the Greeks joined them. Ultimately they succeeded in retaking their land from the Greeks. These rebels grew to be referred to as the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans. As soon as the Maccabees had regained manage they again to the Temple in Jerusalem. By using this time it had been spiritually defiled by using being used for the worship of international gods and also by means of practices reminiscent of sacrificing swine. Jewish troops had been decided to purify the Temple by means of burning ritual oil in the Temple’s menorah for eight days. But to their dismay, they discovered that there was once simplest in the future's worth of oil left within the Temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to their shock the small quantity of oil lasted the whole eight days. That is the miracle of the Hanukkah oil that is celebrated each yr when Jews mild a designated menorah often called a hanukkiyah for eight days. One candle is lit on the primary night of Hanukkah, two on the 2d, and so forth, until eight candles are lit. Significance of Hanukkah in step with Jewish regulation, Hanukkah is without doubt one of the much less principal Jewish vacation trips. However, Hanukkah has come to be rather more standard in modern day follow since of its proximity to Christmas. Hanukkah falls on the twenty-fifth day of the Jewish month of Kislev. For the reason that the Jewish calendar is lunar founded, every year the primary day of Hanukkah falls on one other day – ordinarily someday between late November and late December. Considering many Jews reside in predominately Christian societies, over time Hanukkah has grow to be much more festive and yuletide-like. Jewish kids receive items for Hanukkah – as a rule one present for every of the eight nights of the vacation. Many dad and mom hope that with the aid of making Hanukkah extra specific their children won't suppose omitted of the entire Christmas festivities happening round them. Hanukkah Traditions every neighborhood has its distinctive Hanukkah traditions, but there are some traditions which might be virtually universally practiced. They are: lighting fixtures the hanukkiyah, spinning the dreidel and eating fried foods. Lights the hanukkiyah: every yr it's normal to commemorate the miracle of the Hanukkah oil by means of lights candles on a hanukkiyah. The hanukkiyah is lit every night for eight nights. Spinning the dreidel: A standard Hanukkah recreation is spinning the dreidel, which is a four-sided high with Hebrew letters written on each aspect. Read The Hanukkah Dreidel to gain knowledge of more about the dreidel, the which means of the letters and how to play the game. Gelt, which can be chocolate coins covered with tin foil, are part of this sport. Eating fried meals: due to the fact Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of oil, it's usual to eat fried foods reminiscent of latkes and sufganiyot throughout the excursion. Latkes are pancakes constructed from potatoes and onions, which might be fried in oil after which served with applesauce. Sufganiyot (singular: sufganiyah) are jelly-crammed donuts that are fried and often dusted with confectioners’ sugar before consuming.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    Would you wish Donald Rumsfeld "Happy Karl Marx Day"?

  • 8 years ago

    Just as you want to bless others with a greeting that is important and holds meaning to you, so many Christians would want to extend a blessing that has meaning to them back to you.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    They only accept things that are Christian, everything else to them is evil and the work of the devil. Even though Christmas has pagan origin of the winter solstice.

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