So where are you going to be on December 25, Christmas Day?
Some people will sleep in; others will fill in for the Christian neighbors and friends; other will share the day with Christian friends or family. Many will be at the movies and then enjoy a Chinese dinner afterwards.
Where did this custom- the butt of jokes and serious study- ever come from?
By the turn of the previous century, Jews made up about 25% of New York City’s population. Thickly settled Jewish neighborhoods were close to those of the other large non-Christian immigrant group- the Chinese. These populations seemed to have a natural affinity for each other connected by their otherness and even a vague similarity in their foods including sweet and sour flavors, kreplach and wontons, omission of dairy from meat dishes. Of course, this is coincidence, not any real cultural similarity.
In addition, there is no history of anti-Semitism in China.
However, as Jews became more comfortable in their American skins, they wanted act more sophisticated, to visit restaurants, and to have nights out. The chow mein palaces and dumpling parlors of the Lower East side felt sophisticated and provided a transition from the usually Eastern European cuisine of the home to a not too daunting foreign (and non-kosher) cuisine of the outside world. And Chinese food was cheap.
Social historians theorize that the familiarity of garlic, onions, and vegetables and the tiny pieces of forbidden foods made eating out less stressful for the first time diners and less trying on the conscience for those transitioning from strict kashrut to a more lenient approach. In fact, by 1936 there were 18 Chinese restaurants on the Lower east Side.
Today’s restauranteurs have even adapted Jewish flavors to Chinese cuisine. Some high end restaurants- Jewish run- serve eggs rolls stuffed with pastrami or corned beef. Only in America!
As for Chinese food and Christmas…the Chinese restaurant is often the one place open and the most disconnected from the celebrations on this day that most reminds American Jews of their Jewishness.
So, like Justice Elena Kagan, who when asked during confirmation hearing where she was on Christmas Day 2009, answered , “You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant, “ go enjoy some egg rolls on December 25th.
And if you don’t like Chinese food, Tablet, the online magazine, suggests adopting the Icelandic holiday tradition of Jolabokaflod, literally Yule book flood. Dating back to World War II when about the only thing available for Christmas giving was books, the custom still flourishes in this country where 93% of its residents read at least one book a year.
A catalog of all the books published during the year is issued and avidly read. So curl up with a book on Christmas Day instead of digging into some lo mein.
Here are some books that document the experiences of Jews in China and with Chinese culture, available either in our library or the public library:
Buck, Peony. Buck’s story of the Kaifeng Jewish community and its disappearance through assimilation (FIC)
Chan, Millie Chan’s Kosher Chinese Cookbook.
Grossma, The Kosher-Cookbook Trilogy. Includes Chinese, French and Italian. A pioneer in kosher ethnic cookbooks.
Hyde, Shanghai Sukkah. Story of refugees from Nazi Germany who found safety in Shanghai. (J)
Levitin, The Golem and the Dragon Girl. A Jewish boy and Chinese-American girl gradually become friends
Pollak, Mandarins, Jews, and Missionaries: the Jewish experience in the Chinese Empire.
Schwartzbaum, The Bamboo Cradle: A Jewish father’s story. The story of an adoption.
Shulevitz, The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela: through the continents in the twelfth century. Fictionalized account of a 14 year journey from Europe to China. (J)
Tokayer, Pepper, Silk & Ivory: amazing stories about Jews and the Far East
And some information about the Chinese food, Jews and Christmas connection: http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/251710/forget-chinese-food-our-new-christmas-tradition-should-be-jolabokaflod
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So hungry for Chinese food right now but don’t want to be a stereotype