Like most Reform Jewish families in St. Louis in the 1940s and 1950s, we celebrated Christmas. It obviously had no religious significance, but it was a holiday celebrated, I thought, by Jews and Christians, with Christians giving it an additional twist by calling it the birth of Jesus. But as a young boy in St. Louis, I didn’t think that Jesus was even real; he was a delusion to my mind. But, of course, Santa Claus was real. And he had nothing to do with Jesus. He brought presents to everyone.

I don’t remember exactly when I stopped “believing” in Santa Claus. I don’t remember whether it started with mild doubt, or if one day I had an epiphany. But I do remember (how old could I have been – 6? 7?) being ashamed at how gullible I was.

We did have a chimney and we did put stockings up on the mantelpiece and on Christmas morning the floor was strewn with wrapped presents. We did not have a tree or any other Christmas decorations.

And of course we celebrated Hanukkah as well with candles and blessings and tiny gifts sometimes, I think. But Christmas was the big gift day.

Of course, in school, we sang Christmas carols. I still think that the melodies of the most common ones are beautiful. When we sang them, and anything in them mentioned Jesus, I mouthed the words. They weren’t going to make me blaspheme.

But I have never minded the Christmas season. I like the holiday lights and decorations and the general good cheer. But of course Christmas isn’t what it used to be. Now, I think there are as many or more Halloween decorations on houses as there are at Christmas, and they are often much more clever and artful. There no longer are Christmas windows in shops to look at. In fact, this year, I haven’t even noticed many Christmas trees, or Christmas decorations around town. Or, for that matter, Hanukkah decorations – the menorahs you used to see in shops just don’t seem to be there. And I haven’t heard one carol on the radio and, this morning, the Washington Post and the New York Times barely acknowledge the holiday.

I have no idea why this is, but maybe, if there was a war against Christmas, it has been won. I just don’t know.

But back to celebrating Christmas in a Jewish house when I was young. I don’t think many Jewish houses do that today, although now there are so many mixed houses where everything is celebrated. Which is fine with me. But, are there other connections between Jews and Christmas? I can think of two.

First, there is Jesus himself. Without getting into the religious mythology (and to me all religions are based on one or another mythology), one thing that we know is that Jesus thought himself as Jewish, and that’s good enough for me.

And then, there are the Christmas songs. Not the “Adeste Fideles” types. But the ones that are basically the product of America. Written for the most part in the 20th century. Do you know how many of them were written by Jewish composers?

I know you know that Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas”. I think everyone knows that. But here is a list of some other Christmas songs that were written by Jewish composers (and I am sure it isn’t complete):

“Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”

“Winter Wonderland”

“Let it Snow, Let is Snow, Let it Snow”

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

“A Holly, Jolly Christmas”

“Sleigh Ride” (lyrics)

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

“Silver Bells”

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”

“Jingle Bell Rock”

“Frosty the Snowman”

“Santa Baby”

“The Christmas Song”

So what do I take from this?

I am not really certain. But I know that, without Jews 2000+ years ago, there would be no Jesus. And without Jews 2000 years later, Christmas would be celebrated very differently in the United States. Which makes me think that the celebration of Christmas (as a time of presents and good cheer and family dinners) in the 1940s and 1950s by Reform Jewish families in St. Louis might just have been OK after all.

Merry Christmas. (Tomorrow will be Hanukkah’s turn – I have eight days to deal with that one).