As the holiday season approaches, I find myself pondering the significance of Jesus. This reflection might seem unusual since I’m Jewish, but my husband, Mark, is Catholic, and Jesus is becoming an increasingly relevant figure in our home. With Christmas just around the corner, my curious 5-year-old, Lily, has started to ask big questions about God, Heaven, and her place in this grand scheme of things.
In fact, during one of our recent conversations, I realized just how mixed up she is about it all.
Lily: “You know that guy who saved the world? Umm… God?”
Me: “Yes, sweetie?”
Lily: “Well, why did Santa—I mean God—put Disney World in Florida? And why can’t Santa—I mean God—make the whole world Florida?”
Where do I even begin? It’s clear we’ve overlooked her religious education. To be honest, we’ve been avoiding it, opting to postpone the discussion until later. Some topics have been straightforward to address, like the story of Moses. We just plopped her down in front of Disney’s The Prince of Egypt, handed her some popcorn, and let the magic happen. She seemed to grasp it all—well, except for the slavery and the “smiting of the firstborn” part. Can’t say I blame her for that.
But explaining Jesus? That’s a different ballgame. This is the moment we have to convey to her that Mommy and Daddy don’t see eye to eye on everything; we have distinct beliefs with little common ground. To make it even more mind-boggling for her, we’ll have to clarify that neither of us is necessarily incorrect. My initial plan was to lay out both faiths and let her decide—great for a teenager, less so for a 5-year-old trying to figure out if a messiah has ever appeared on Earth.
Since Lily is in a “Mommy phase,” she’ll probably lean towards my perspective for now. Old Testament: 1, New Testament: 0. But I can easily see her rebelling in her teenage years, maybe joining a group like Jews for Jesus or, even worse, declaring a dislike for matzo ball soup. For the moment, we need to introduce these profound concepts gently and simply. After all, Christmas is essentially a big birthday bash. What 5-year-old wouldn’t love a birthday party—especially one where they get to keep all the presents?
As we navigate through the basics of Judeo-Christian beliefs, I hope Lily won’t feel overwhelmed by our ambiguous answers. I want her to understand that some questions remain unanswered, just like she accepts that soda isn’t great for her, despite my love for a cold Diet Dr. Pepper. Despite her deep thoughts, she’s still just five. No matter how well we explain the essence of Christmas, it’s going to boil down to “Lily’s Favorite Princess Gift Day” in her eyes.
And honestly, as long as she doesn’t expect Jesus to turn the world into a giant Orlando-style amusement park, I think we’ve done our job—for now.
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Summary
As a Jewish parent married to a Catholic, I navigate the complexities of Christmas with my half-Jewish daughter. Through gentle explanations and an emphasis on the joy of the holiday season, I aim to help her understand our differing beliefs while keeping the focus on fun.