Does Thanksgiving count as too Christian for your purposes? On the one hand, it was undeniably founded by zealous Christians; on the other, it is mostly something made up in the nineteenth century with only the vaguest religious content.
Well, one could argue that this country was founded by zealous Christians, and yet we still live here. :-)
Most religious American Jews I know of have absolutely no problem with observing Thanksgiving, as it's generally considered simply a day to be thankful. (I know quite a few atheists who celebrate it as well, but don't thank God, obviously.)
I don't know the complete story of the origins of the modern American Thanksgiving holiday, but I seem to recall that it was conceived by a magazine editor in the 19th century.
Basically, some Orthodox Jews (myself excluded) have a concern that, per zmook's question, Thanksgiving might be a primarily religious-oriented holiday promulgated by Christians, and thus problematic for Jews to "observe."
Given the absence of any definite religious practice associated with Thanksgiving, the analysis and debate described in the essay focus to a large extent on the specific elements of Thanksgiving "observance." Framing the analysis this way creates an instant (and somewhat amusing) analogy to the formal requirements associated with the fulfillment of defined religious obligations on Jewish holidays. Thus, the question of whether an observant Jew can eat turkey at a festive meal on Thanksgiving (thus "fulfilling" the essential "required" elements of the day) is roughly evaluated within the same analytical framework as eating matza at a seder. In considering the origins of Thanksgiving in this vein, I was mildly surprised to see no mention of the obvious link between Thanksgiving and the Jewish/biblical harvest festival of Sukkot, of which the Pilgrims were certainly aware.
For the record, I had a turkey meal with family yesterday, as I do most years. Halloween this isn't.
The wikipedia entry doesn't mention the magazine editor (which I also sort of remember), but does trace more of a history back to the Pilgrims than I thought. I'd always thought that part was completely bogus, but apparently it's only sort of bogus.
According to Rashi Thanksgiving comes in a sunset the night before. According to Rambam it comes it when three stars come out the night before. According to Rashbam it comes in at the start of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. According to the Grah it comes in eighteen minutes before the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. According to Rav Shneerson it comes in whenever turkey and cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are together.
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Does that mean that my always-after-sundown-on-the-Thursday meal is really on isru chag?
;-)
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Most religious American Jews I know of have absolutely no problem with observing Thanksgiving, as it's generally considered simply a day to be thankful. (I know quite a few atheists who celebrate it as well, but don't thank God, obviously.)
I don't know the complete story of the origins of the modern American Thanksgiving holiday, but I seem to recall that it was conceived by a magazine editor in the 19th century.
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Basically, some Orthodox Jews (myself excluded) have a concern that, per zmook's question, Thanksgiving might be a primarily religious-oriented holiday promulgated by Christians, and thus problematic for Jews to "observe."
Given the absence of any definite religious practice associated with Thanksgiving, the analysis and debate described in the essay focus to a large extent on the specific elements of Thanksgiving "observance." Framing the analysis this way creates an instant (and somewhat amusing) analogy to the formal requirements associated with the fulfillment of defined religious obligations on Jewish holidays. Thus, the question of whether an observant Jew can eat turkey at a festive meal on Thanksgiving (thus "fulfilling" the essential "required" elements of the day) is roughly evaluated within the same analytical framework as eating matza at a seder. In considering the origins of Thanksgiving in this vein, I was mildly surprised to see no mention of the obvious link between Thanksgiving and the Jewish/biblical harvest festival of Sukkot, of which the Pilgrims were certainly aware.
For the record, I had a turkey meal with family yesterday, as I do most years. Halloween this isn't.
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