tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post4511267912076244784..comments2024-03-10T20:46:19.274-04:00Comments on In the Middle: The shrunken head upon my Christmas treeCord J. Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06224143153295429986noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-49228485056850131692006-12-23T17:42:00.000-05:002006-12-23T17:42:00.000-05:00Delightful, Jeffrey--and this from a man who used ...Delightful, Jeffrey--and this from a man who used to spend Christmas on Long Island with Jewish friends, happily sitting beneath the Hanukkah bush. Enjoy the holidays!JKWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14965566773252227387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-35051740858996853922006-12-21T11:00:00.000-05:002006-12-21T11:00:00.000-05:00"no, no, no [!], there is a long tradition in Juda...<i>"no, no, no [!], there is a long tradition in Judaism of important bushes, like Moses' burning bush, etc." </i><br /><br />Etc? There's the shrubbery in which Abraham discovered the ram that saved Isaac's life. That's all I can think of.<br /><br />My favorite bit of syncretism: driving around a military base a few years back with my brother (an Air Force doctor) et famille, we saw a peculiar display on a Colonel's front lawn: four angels blowing their horns, but rather than a baby in their midst, there was Snoopy. I asked my brother about it: "well, he's a colonel. No one can do anything about it."<br /><br />Great post (both of you). More to say later I hope.Karl Steelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03353370018006849747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-4738460029712144512006-12-21T09:57:00.000-05:002006-12-21T09:57:00.000-05:00Wonderful post, JJC. Our Christmas tree doesn't ha...Wonderful post, JJC. Our Christmas tree doesn't have shrunken heads or a dachshund angel or even Spongebob Squarepants, although we do have the Powerpuff Girls and lots of Snoopys and a pickle. Just the other night there was this hysterical story on NPR about a Jewish family in, I think, Washington State, who, tired of all the outrageous Christmas decoration in everyone's front lawns, decided to create the Hannukah "bush"--essentially a large artificial shrub--not to be confused with a tree--which can be hung with special Hannukah ornaments. This has become big business for the family, who also manufacture and sell inflatable menorahs, dredles, and the like, for display on the front lawn. During the interview, everytime the commentator [also Jewish, by the way] tried to get the mother to admit that a Hannukah "bush" was really just a kind of sublimated Christmas tree and the mother kept saying, "no, no, no [!], there is a long tradition in Judaism of important bushes, like Moses' burning bush, etc." To which the commentator said, sure, but your Hannukah bush isn't on fire and it has ornaments. Back and forth, back and forth, etc. It was very funny. Anyway, I just thought you might want to know that, in addition to your tree, menorah, etc., that you also need a Hannukah bush. Cheers, EileenEileen Joyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756965845120441308noreply@blogger.com