I think it's a good idea to decorate a tree for Chanukah. It won't set a bad example on the kids. It will teach them about different cultures! Decorate away!

Editor's Comment

I've been told that I should try and make Chanukah as much fun as Christmas by some non-Jewish individuals. I don't need to decorate my house with lights or anything else. The family being together, lighting the beautiful menorah and singing songs as well as retelling the story and spending it with friends and family is what will make it as much fun as ever! A tree has nothing to do with any holiday. It is something added to the holiday. If it doesn't pertain to Chanukah it shouldn't be a part of it. We should be proud to be Jewish and all the wonderful things we do to celebrate Chanukah. Happy holidays to you.

Differences in religions and traditions makes it beautiful. Just because someone is doing something that looks fun in their religion doesn't mean you also need to do it. Just learn about it, enjoy how the trees look but that isn't a reason to put one up in the house. Teach them about the different cultures but you don't have to do it. We need to put more meaning behind why we do it and not be so materialistic in our doing things because they look fun. It may look beautiful to light the menorah but I wouldn't want my non-Jewish neighbors lighting menorahs each night because it looks nice. What's the purpose?

I have been told that the Christmas tree is a Pagan-istic symbol that was added to the list of Christmas symbols.

Indeed, the Christmas tree is pagan. The pre-Christian pagans in northern/western Europe often worshipped the evergreen because right in the middle of winter, it was still green, signifying that perhaps (I stress PERHAPS) spring would come again. Hence also Christmas's placement at the winter solstice, when days are getting longer again and thus, perhaps spring will come again.

And as for someone's saying that we should decorate trees to celebrate another culture, should we also worship their gods? One can admire the good qualities in another culture, but one should never imitate another's cultural practice unless there is some logical reason for it, and it doesn't contradict Judaism (assuming you're Jewish).

a hanukkah tree is not a jewish symbol for hanukkah. it is a christian symbol that is for christmas. the writer's wife had it growing up probably because of other non-jewish friends or because it was"pretty." but we should not confuse symbols or decorations that belong to other cultures or religions. a christmas tree belongs in a christian home, not a jewish one. borrowing from another religion and changing the terminology to hanukkah "bush" does not make it jewish. it tells me that there should be more jewish symbols and traditional jewish decorations that embrace hanukkah and are truly authentic to our religion and history. thank you.

It’s quite ironic that out of all the Jewish Holidays it is on Chanukah that people want to “adopt” other cultures and celebrate “like everyone else”.

On Passover we celebrate freedom from slavery. On Purim we celebrate freedom from the threat of annihilation. In the story of Chanukah. however, they didn’t want to kill us or enslave us. All the Greeks wanted was to deprive us of our own identity and make us “like everyone else.” They hated the fact that we have our own Jewish culture and pride. They tried first to persuade us, then to force us, to “adopt” their culture and customs.

We celebrate Chanukah precisely because we didn’t cave to the “peer pressure” and remained dedicated to our own heritage, traditions and holidays. G-d saw our devotion and determination, He performed miracles, and gave us yet another holiday to celebrate with pride and Joy.

On Chanukah we celebrate a victory over “cultural oppressors”. We remember that people fought for our right to practice our OWN traditions. So it would only make sense that when celebrating Chanukah today, you celebrate the miracle by being proud of who YOU are!

Its not very clever to copy what mainstream- society does and says!Come on!!!!We have copied them in customs and morals and we`ve gone down a slippery-slope just like they have.Society has very confused kids who are allowed to choose whatever they want....culturally and morally .They can even choose what religion they follow and mix-n-match with bits of other religions!!!!!What a mess!

!!!Lets take a Jewish child and teach him a bit of christianity and a bit of buddhism and whatever society has to offer,lets turn him into a mishmash of cultures and give him a confused identity,and when mainstream society says were doing the right thing we`ll believe them,right?

Come on everyone,think for YOURSELVES,dont copy everyone else,be JEWISH,dont mishmash your kids,its not fair on them.They need to know who they are.Jews are not a bit christian,or anything else,they`re Jews.

Best wishes 2 all,Nathan(15)