#rayblayblay

Yeaaaaaaah. That’s why I always try to be VERY upfront and VERY open about my Judaism, because I find the blanket assumption of Christianity grating, even though I absolutely know it’s 100% not malicious at all. But I like your attitude! 

Honestly, living in an OVERWHELMINGLY Christian country is always difficult to navigate, but especially around this time of the year. And you know, it’s really a host of things for me. It’s the tv shows where Jewish character just either celebrate Xmas with their goy friends or make Hannukkah the be-all end-all of Jewish life, when it’s at most a very minor holiday. And even then they whitewash a story about resistance against all odds to be about something it’s not. And that’s. Annoying to say the least. But also in fandom spaces, you know how many canon Jewish characters I’ve seen in Xmas sweaters and Santa hats? IT’S A LOT. And it’s always super jarring and bad. Like, I’ve seen Magneto in a Santa hat. MAGNETO. 

And on a like, personal, day-to-day basis, I live in a place where the assumption is that Jews don’t exist anymore. Like, I’ve literally met college educated people who looked at me like some kind of religious unicorn because they genuinely thought Jews went extinct in Italy or something. And they either assume I’m just dyiiiiiing to celebrate Xmas with them or that I’m totally ignorant of what Xmas is or what it means. I’ve lived a stone’s throwaway from the Pope my all life, Mary, I know that a nativity scene is, smh. And no, I don’t give a toss about your Xmas tree and about how sad you think is the fact that I never made one. Good LORD. I can live a healthy life without decorating a tree that you swear “it’s totally just a secular thing now!” And this is truly the worst stuff because in real life I often don’t feel safe enough to correct people. I don’t feel like I can say “I don’t celebrate Xmas, I’m Jewish” because I live in a neighborhood that currently houses TWO whole far right clubhouses. And you never know who might be a damn nazi these days.