Right about now (late December) the world seems full of Christmas, and many liberal Jewish publications seem full of stories about interfaith families that are having a wonderful December.
But what if your interfaith household is having a tough time this year? Here are some tips for you, in this moment:
- Know that you are not alone. The holidays hit a lot of people hard. Your particular issue may be “interfaith” but there are also people in single-faith households that get stressed out, fight, or feel horrible this time of year. Depression is not unusual, either. So even though the marketing on TV tells you that everyone else is happy, don’t you believe it.
- Kindness is more important than holiday spirit. We can’t control how we feel, but we can choose what we do. Choose kindness whenever you can.
- Keep your agreements if you possibly can. Let’s say you have agreed to something, and now you find that it is uncomfortable. You can say to your partner, “This is harder than I thought it would be.” You can renegotiate for next year after December is over (see #7 and #8 below) but for now, keep the agreements you’ve made. It will make any future renegotiation easier.
- This year is just this year. It isn’t how it’s always going to be. Next year might be completely different.
- Make a little time and/or space for your tradition. If the house feels too Christmasy, this might be a time to go to synagogue, mosque, or temple. If it feels not Christmasy enough, it might be a time to go to church, or to any of the places where Christmas is in abundance.
- Make a little time and/or space for yourself. What restores you? Go do that. Go for a run or to the gym. Get that pedicure. Meditate. Listen to your music. Be kind not only to others, but to yourself.
- Don’t try to process December during December. If it’s already December, the Christmas goose is in the oven, and the Chanukah fat is in the fire. Yes, you and your beloved may need to have a conversation, maybe even a conversation with a skilled counselor helping, but now it’s all too raw. Be as kind to one another as you can, survive to January, then have a conversation when you aren’t in the middle of it.
- Know that help is available. If that conversation is going to be tough, or you don’t know where to begin, call your rabbi or minister and ask for help. That may be enough, or they may refer you to an individual or couples counselor who can help. One thing: you want a counselor with experience in interfaith issues. It’s OK to ask for what you need.
- Take depression and other mental health issues seriously. Sometimes the only issue is December, but sometimes December can highlight deeper troubles, like mental health issues or addiction. Don’t brush those things under the carpet and hope they’ll go away. Seek treatment for mental health issues. If the sick person won’t seek treatment, other family members need the support of counseling, Al-Anon, or a NAMI group.
- December will not last forever. I promise.
Good tips, Thank you.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Gretiana. I wish you wholeness and peace during this December!
Even if you are not interfaith (and I am conservadox), one should be able to appreciate the Christmas Holiday Season for all sorts of reasons…not the least of which is the “beauty” of the season. Growing up in NYC, I still have fond memories of Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, The Nutcracker Suite, etc. That doesn’t mean I (would ever) believe in Christ. It really isn’t black and white!
I absolutely agree, jdlazar – I have a neighbor with Christmas lights that I thoroughly enjoy.
Thank you, Rabbi Adar. My daughter and I are converting, altho now we are now visiting with my mom, brother, etc., who all want to make fairly elaborate plans for Christmas. So I’m trying to focus on the aspects of ‘enjoying being with family’ and ‘respecting what other people find important’. That doesn’t mean it’s not stressful. 🙂 I really appreciate all your good words of wisdom, especially the taking care of yourself.
Great choices, Anne! Let me know how it goes for you.
Looks like we are thinking about the same thing. Christmas expectations can be hard on everyone, even Christians. But for interfaith families it can have a special pang of unhappiness. I tell my couples to go forward with the plans they’ve made. Pay attention and make note of what works and what hurts. The time to review all of this will come. In January or February you’ll have a good long time to plan for the next Christmas season.
http://buildingjewishbridges.org/?p=4205
Great advice, from an Outreach and Interfaith expert!