Photo credit: Wikipedia
Jews and Chinese food. A seemingly inseparable pair. While their Christian neighbors celebrated Christmas Eve at mass and around the tree, Jews around the country took part in their own time-honored Christmas tradition: heading out to the local Chinese restaurant for a festive meal.
A Facebook page “Jewish Christmas: Chinese food and Movie” has been dedicated to the tradition, and the hashtags #JewsOnChristmasEve and #JewishChristmas have Jews waxing about what’s become almost a religious imperative. Here’s a sample:
One woman reported a long line at the local restaurant:
The phenomenon is not just limited to the Northeast. The Dallas Morning News canvassed local businesses on behalf of its Jewish readers and provided a list of ten Chinese restaurants that are open over the holiday. The Salt Lake Tribune profiled a Utah family that cooks fried rice and and chicken stir-fry on Christmas. And New York’s Serious Eats website listed its local joints in a post titled: “How to Celebrate Jewish Christmas: 20 Tasty Chinese Restaurants in NYC (With Nearby Movie Theaters).”
In Boston, a local business staged a Chinese food-Jewish themed comedy show called “Moo Shu Jew.” Organizers advertised the sold-out event this way: “This Meshuggena Show was created for Jews to enjoy at Christmas time, where Jews feel most at home, in a Chinese Restaurant!” Meshuggena means crazy in Yiddish.
Award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Mamet once penned this cartoon:
Which appears to have inspired this undated photo:
One writer jested:
For years, Jews and Chinese Restaurant owners have come together on Dec. 25 to celebrate food, family, and fellowship in the midst of what is otherwise an eerily abandoned ghost town. It’s nice to see that this place really appreciates that relationship — even if they seem to be under the impression that chicken lo mein is mandated in the Torah.
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan in her 2010 confirmation hearings was asked by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham how she’d spent her Christmas, to which she answered: “You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is himself Jewish, explained: “No other restaurants are open!”
Despite the fact that this has become a Jewish-American tradition, it’s worth noting that most Chinese restaurants are not kosher, serving pork, shellfish and other items prohibited in dietary laws mapped out in the Torah.
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SanDiegoCountyCitizen
Dec. 27, 2012 at 3:40amIm surprised by the high volume of moronic comments here. I guess that is why talking religion or politics is a NoGo at the company holiday parties… some drunk moron will manage to get himself fired for voicing his ignorant and bigoted opinions. Good thing you arent at my party, but your all fired anyway!
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Watchyer6
Dec. 26, 2012 at 2:43pmQ: What is the definition of chaos?
A: Chinese restaurant in a Jewish neighborhood on Christmas day.
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independentvoteril
Dec. 26, 2012 at 12:43pmwe do Christmas Eve so Christmas day is a day off.. I cook extra for Christmas Eve so we have left overs to reheat and put a roast in the oven and kick back..no need to order out.. lots of good eating..
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sillyfreshness
Dec. 26, 2012 at 2:04pmWho cares what the “chosen people” do on Christmas? No doubt they eat Chinese just as a way to throw it in Christians faces that they have no respect for the Christian holiday. Chinese food is about as polar opposite to Western cuisine as it gets.
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Paool
Dec. 26, 2012 at 4:30pm@SILLYFRESHNESS – Ya…that’s what it is. They got so mad at the Christians that they eat Chinese food as a slap in our face.
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loneindividual
Dec. 26, 2012 at 11:56amchinese food and a movie….probably not very kosher.
I understand that Jews look upon Christians with skepticism and even cynicism….mainly because of how Christians were “Useful Idiots” whenever the Jews were abused or manipulated.
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sillyfreshness
Dec. 26, 2012 at 2:12pmAnd now that the Jews are in power in the US through the media, Hollywood, Wall Street and the government, they now use these Gentile “useful idiots” to further their leftist agenda. For example, all the “useful idiots” on TheBlaze that are die hard Jew supporters, even though the Jews and their liberalism are their political enemies. Almost all the Marxist in power are Jews like George Soros, Saul Alinsky, Barbara Streisand, Roseann Barr, Bill Maher, Gloria Steinem, Sean Penn, Gloria Allred, Andrea Mitchel (NBC), Sumner Redstone (owns CBS) and the list goes on and on. The modern day “useful idiots” support and back Jews in everything they do like on this forum. The Democratic Party wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for rich, powerful Jews pumping money to it and propaganda from the media they own and control.
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loneindividual
Dec. 26, 2012 at 10:55pmYou do realize I was speaking generally in terms of history…right…I wasn’t even gonna go into which politic either Christian or Jew tend to support.
Trust me…Jews historically are Conservative compared to “Christians” with how liberal they have been when Fornicating with Tyrants and coddling their irrational behavior.
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sillyfreshness
Dec. 26, 2012 at 11:59pmSorry, Jews are not conservative. They invented Marxism and many Jews fully support Marxist ideals. They are very anti-2nd Amendment in the US, but insist every Jew in Israel carries a gun on his/her person. I mean look up all these leftists and progressives on TV and 90% of the time, they are Jews. About 80% of Jews vote Democratic every election, second only to the black community in their support for the Dems. They are not conservative and I don’t know who told you they are.
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CulperGang
Dec. 26, 2012 at 11:45amAs long as Chinese/Indians eat cats and dogs I will not chance eating at any of those restaurants.
And no I am not for beef slaughtering either. Do your thing. But I am out.
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U4eeeahhh
Dec. 26, 2012 at 8:35amRecently I’ve found that Indian restaurants are also often open on holidays.
About 15 percent of Jews in America today keep kosher.
My grandmother was Jewish but a Freethinker so not observant and technically that made my father Jewish but he was an atheist. In Israel 23 percent of Jews identify as non-religious and 13 percent as atheist.
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charles116
Dec. 26, 2012 at 9:42amSO non christian should close their shops on christmas?
That makes no sense at all.
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ShamanWorld
Dec. 26, 2012 at 7:15amThis article clearly shows Jewsish disdain for Christianity. It’s sorta like me sayin I burn my biscuits on the anniversary of the Holocaust
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TRUTHandFREEDOM
Dec. 26, 2012 at 7:48amShamanworld, I don’t see how you draw that conclusion. Most of the free world is closed on Christmas day and as we all know; there is nothing on TV!
While I celebrate Christmas, others don’t. They spend the day another way. I don’t see the issue that offends you. I’d encourage everyone to get on board with Christianity and Christmas, but I don’t take offense in their dining at Chinese restaurants and those restaurants appealing to their potential customers in the way that they have. They all need to do something until they see the light. I don’t know of a mandate that Capitalism must stop on Christmas day. ebay and amazon are open, as are all on line stores with sales and marketing.
It’s not like election day when I celebrate freedom and vote for it while others don’t participate, care or join me in doing that while others actually vote AGAINST freedom! THAT is the counter culture that I view as offensive and at times, even repulsive!! Many Chinese became Americans BECAUSE of their want of freedom. Many Chinese and people of the Hebrew faith join me in defending rights and freedom (including freedom to spend Christmas day as they wish) on election day …. and I LOVE that!
Merry Christmas to all! God Bless us, everyone!
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hi-polymer
Dec. 26, 2012 at 1:46amDeck the haws with baws of horry fa ra ra ra ra. . .ra ra ra ra!
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loneindividual
Dec. 26, 2012 at 11:57amlol
I don’t understand why people think stuff like that is racist.
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ehbardin
Dec. 25, 2012 at 9:52pm@ MROBVIOUS
The only thing that is OBVIOUS is the fact that you don’t know cr ap about Chinese food, Chow Main is an American dish, Dim Sum is Korean. Now if you want to talk about Cantonese, Szechuan, Mandarin, or some other region thus style of Chinese cooking, I might listen, but Chow Main, give me a break.
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Chuck Stein
Dec. 26, 2012 at 4:04am“Chow Main”? Is that like the main course at the chuck wagon? Maybe if it happened to be a chuck wagon staffed by Chinese, the main chow could be Chow Mein.
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giopa2
Dec. 25, 2012 at 8:03pmYou can take your vile insults about Judaism and go to Hell.
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Chet Hempstead
Dec. 26, 2012 at 5:07amThis article isn’t insulting anybody. It’s just accurately reporting facts. They are Jews. They do eat at Chinese restaurants on Christmas. It has become a tradition. The line about it becoming “almost a religious imperative” was obviously just a harmless joke.
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1776freedomofspeech
Dec. 26, 2012 at 1:05pmDo Jews have a Bacon Eaters Annonymous for those who can’t put the bacon down?
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giopa2
Dec. 25, 2012 at 8:02pmThe last sentence in the article should have been the first. Most Jews in America are secular or minimally observant They have the day off and so they go to a Chinese restaurant which unlike a Christian one is likely to be open on Christmas. However they do not define Jewish tradition. The Tanakh (“Old Testament”) defines Jewish tradition alongside which is the Talmud (for Ashkenazim and Sephardim) and depending on one’s community many generations of theological/legal opinion from Jewish scholars. This article is a deliberate insult to Jewish tradition and the sort of false friendship to be expected from a “Christian Zionist”. It is not forgotten the Christian tradition of murdering Jews on Christmas Day.
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Kaoscontrol
Dec. 26, 2012 at 1:53amChristian tradition of murdering Jews on Christmas?? Maybe some twisted people somewhere in history did this, but (A) they weren’t true Christians and (B) you are SO WRONG to make any judgment about those of us today who love God (and support his chosen people) that would assume we would agree with any such thing.
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eddie333
Dec. 26, 2012 at 1:16pmThe Jews killed Jesus Christ.
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DisgustedinUSA
Dec. 25, 2012 at 7:25pmHaving a Jew in our family has been such a blessing. We’ve learned so much about their customs. However, this one custom of eating Chinese food at the holiday is enjoyed by all of us each year. Esp New Years. The Chinese restaurant owners are smart, they open on those two main holidays. Thats why they make such a killing.
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Marcia
Dec. 25, 2012 at 6:52pmEven we Christians enjoy going to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas. If you don’t have family and friends nearby, why not?? The food is always wonderful and plentiful!
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Nathan2004
Dec. 25, 2012 at 6:40pmI’m all about this tradition…actually thinking about trading in my turkey next year for some good chinese. Just like turkey – Always left-overs.
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mcellu
Dec. 25, 2012 at 4:28pmFunny. Being far from family at Christmas and having a husband who has to go into work for a few hours in the afternoon (yes, WalMart), I have come to cherish the quiet afternoons while the kids play with new stuff and dinner is taken care of byt the local Chinese place next door to WalMart! I don’t know why more families don’t take the easy way out. Little mess, good food and time around the table without stress.
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Strait Talk Express
Dec. 25, 2012 at 2:55pmI never see a Chinese oriental dining place around our town growing up too because we are in the boon docker sticks and not used to chop sticks that I still can’t make them work except as spears. But now everybody goes in restaurants with computing laptops even on Christmas Day here we all are stuck on the Blaze while the food ordering happens, sad to admit I am one of them, Jesus!
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ehbardin
Dec. 25, 2012 at 2:14pmHey Monk,
I’m a Jew born and raised in Boston, best Chinese food in the country, now living in Tampa, and they try to pass off the worst crap as Chinese food, they should be shot for destroying an entire culture.
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MrObvious
Dec. 25, 2012 at 3:40pmChicken Chow Main just as good, or even better, in some Tampa Bay area restaurants as it ever was in Boston.
Boston has good Dim Sum; but, never really liked Dim Sum that much.
The Tampa Bay area does have some really good Oriental restaurants, including Chinese, Ti, Korean, and, Japanese.
Used to live near Boston; so, I know what I’m talking about.
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drs1969
Dec. 25, 2012 at 8:52pm‘Beware, not all Chinese restaurants are run by Chinese.’ Should be on a fortune cookie.
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Armyof One
Dec. 25, 2012 at 2:09pmOn the other hand; Bless you, sons of Abraham. Shalom.
….and try the won ton, it’s wonderful :D
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The-Monk
Dec. 25, 2012 at 2:04pmUltra-Liberal progressive David Mamet can get away with this but if it was a Conservative…
It would be racist and anti Semite….
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VanceUppercut
Dec. 25, 2012 at 2:14pm@The-Monk
Um, apparently you know nothing of David Mamet. In recent years Mamet has gone fully off the deep end of nutty Rightwing-ism, including claiming that we would’ve won Vietnam if it weren’t for those “bleeding-heart liberals”.
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The-Monk
Dec. 25, 2012 at 3:22pm@VanceUppercut,
What you seem to fail to understand is that once a mind is destroyed by progressive liberalism after drinking too much of their kool-aid it can never be repaired and often goes berserk in it’s confusion.
Just wait until Michael Moore follows David Mamet’s path. It’s really sad to see. Just about as bad as reading your posts which I never do. Unless they are addressed to me. Now slither back into hole you call a life and let the sane people communicate.
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VanceUppercut
Dec. 25, 2012 at 6:45pm@The-Monk
So, what you’re saying (if I understand correctly) is that Mamet’s right-wing nuttery can be put down to the fact that he used to consider himself a liberal (even though he himself has cast doubt on whether he ever truly was a liberal, or if he was just going through the motions because that’s what was expected of him in the circles he belonged to). So by that standard, I guess Glen “Lonesome Rhodes” Beck must’ve been a real hardcore liberal at one time to turn out so mind-bogglingly looney.
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ehbardin
Dec. 25, 2012 at 2:00pmIt’s the truth, been doing it my whole life. Obviously no Jew is going to cook a feast on Xmass eve, but has no problem eating one, and let’s face it the Chinese have no problem working on Xmass, it’s a match made in heaven (Bethlehem).
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The-Monk
Dec. 25, 2012 at 1:57pmI feel sorry for the Jews in Tampa, Fl then.
There isn’t a single Chinese restaurant worth going to here.
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ehbardin
Dec. 25, 2012 at 2:08pmI agree
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Ziggy
Dec. 25, 2012 at 2:44pmSame for Sarasota.
Although Siam orchid has good Ti, but I don’t know if it is kosher.
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RJJinGadsden
Dec. 25, 2012 at 3:11pmHi MONK,
Now that you mention that, I don’t recall a single Chinese Restaurant in Tampa when I lived there in the ’70s. I do however remember three excellent Chinese Restaurants in Germany.
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The-Monk
Dec. 25, 2012 at 4:17pmHi RJJ,
We had a few really good one’s in the 80′s to mid 90′s. The last one closed up because of a superstitious belief in bad luck after they broke a $70K chandelier above their best table. Or should I say “on” their best table.
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ProgressiveDeist267
Dec. 25, 2012 at 1:43pmJewish or not. I can always make room for chicken chow mein.
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MrObvious
Dec. 25, 2012 at 3:41pmamen
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Dec. 25, 2012 at 1:32pmAmazing.
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1776freedomofspeech
Dec. 25, 2012 at 1:32pmFunny
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