Overlapping Jewish, Christian holidays can be done right, says group

Published: 2003-12-09

BOSTON, Ky. (CNS) -- Interfaith couples might face particular challenges this December when Christmas and Hanukkah overlap, but the holidays do not have to strain the marriage, according to a nonprofit group that provides resources for interfaith couples and their families. "Whether couples celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah or maintain only one religious practice as a household, interfaith families often need help deciding how to deal with the winter holidays," said Mary Helene Rosenbaum, executive director of the Kentucky-based Dovetail Institute for Interfaith Family Resources. "We recommend that families think about their choices, try to separate them from their emotional or nostalgic impulses, and try not to make the holidays a battleground," Rosenbaum added. This year, Hanukkah will be celebrated Dec. 19-27 and the Hebrew month of Tevet will begin on Christmas, Dec. 25. The organization's free pamphlet, "Don't Light the Menorah So Close to the Christmas Tree," is available by phone at: (800) 530-1596, or on the Internet at: www.dovetailinstitute.org.

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