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.
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3 comments:
Guess I'm an exception. I was born in the states, and I absolutely cannot go without a New Years' tree. You'll find it funny, but I'm actually the one who insisted we have one (and I wasn't even in California on New Years') - not Kira, and not even my 7 y/o sister.
I have always and still love having a tree. It's worth explaining myself. Perhaps I'm biased because as a kid I was always proud to be different, proud to be a Russian Jew. I always enjoyed and still enjoy saying "our New Year's tree".
I think it's important for children to hold onto certain traditions. Yes, we all have Wiis and IPods and our own laptops and cell phones by age 12, but technology changes. Children need to know that even in the ever-spinning world of ever-spinning technology, some things remain constant - like literature and traditions, Novogodnia Elka included.
But philosophy aside, it's healthy to have a tree in the house for and after New Years'. American Christians lose the holiday spirit immediately after midnight. But we get to cherish it long after Christmas. So I think we should let our kids (jeez, I'm saying this as if I have kids already! [I won't any time soon, I promise *tfu tfu*]) savor the holiday spirit, because it only comes once a year.
My kids were not excited about the tree at all. We have a tree every year, and they never showed much interest in it. First I was determined to keep the tradition (just like I keep insisting that they learn to read and write in Russian and use Russian properly, even though they may never need it). But in recent couple of years I keep asking myself about the purpose of having a tree, seing that they are not very interested. And keeping in mind that in America the tree has a totally different meaning, I now tend to think that it may not be the tradition worth keeping - I am quite sure that the kids will not go on keeping it as they grow older. This decision is based solely on my kids' feelings about the tree - if they showed any interest, I would've definitely feel differently.
You may as well keep the tree for yourself, then. So they don't care, but if it makes you and your husband happy, why not keep it?
Over New Years' (a day after), I went to this one couple's apartment. Obviously no kids - they're only about 4 years older than me; they had a tiny little tree in their apartment, and it just made the place so much more intimate and festive. I guess it's different in California - but when it's 20 degrees outside with a foot of snow on the ground, it's just so much nicer to come home to an apartment that smells like pine. Anyway, moot point - it's almost May now. =)
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