Memoires of the New Year tree

A tree decorating has been a Russian tradition since the time of Peter the Great. Every Russian household decorates a tree religiously (even though the symbol is non-religious) for the New Year. We grew up with it, and most of us cannot imagine a New Year without it. Coming from the former Soviet Union, we brought the tradition with us and cannot let it go. Nothing brings the New Year spirit into the house like a nicely decorated tree. We remember it fondly as children and now we claim to be doing it for our children. But are we?

When they came to this country, observant Russian Jews figured that they have a dilemma. A decorated tree in America is a symbol of Christmas and not of the New Year. Therefore, decorating a tree made it look like they are following a Christian tradition. Most solved the problem simply - they bought a tree before Christmas and decorated it after - just in time for the New Year. Still holding on to the tradition that is so near and dear to our hearts. Still claiming that we are doing it for the children.

But do our children really need a New Year tree? Our children grow up differently then we did. They have things that we didn't have (iPods, iPhones, internet, Wii), and they don't do things that we did (like staying home alone and heating our own lunches by age 6). But first and foremost, they were born in the country where the tree is associated with Christmas and not with the New Year, and no matter how hard we try, a decorated tree will always most certainly remind them of Christmas.

We might as well face it - we decorate a tree because we love it, not our children. We cannot let go of a beloved tradition of our childhood. But for our own children, it's actually better that we did let it go. Then they wouldn't have to explain themselves to the people who wonder why Jews have a Christmas tree, even if after Christmas.