The Blessing of Chinese Food (and a Movie) on Christmas
There isn’t really a blessing over Chinese food on Christmas, except for the regular ones over eating any dish. And there isn’t one at all for watching a movie. Yet somehow these two activities, a movie and Chinese food on Christmas, have almost become Jewish rituals. Actually, they have become Jewish rituals even if they are not part of any religious obligations. So much so that when we sat down this evening to eat our Chinese food after enjoying a movie in the theater, I felt like there ought to be some way to mark the moment.
Not that long ago there was on Twitter (before it was X that was formally twitter) a thread parodying what the Jewish laws would be around Christmas if it had been a Jewish holiday to be observed with Jewish rituals. Whether one had to eat the meal of Chinese food on the night of the 24th or on the 25th and what quantity would be required to fulfill the commandment. Could one see a movie at home or would that only be allowed in emergency circumstances like the pandemic or a major snowstorm. While the thread was fanciful, the subject was quite real.
There is a legitimate history for this phenomenon complete with book length studies and documentary treatment. Certainly there is a sociological significance to the relationship Jewish immigrants had with neighboring Chinese communities and the fact that Chinese restaurants are often the only restaurants open for regular service on December 24 and 25th. For sure self-referential media has helped transform what was once a kind of stereotype into something more widespread. However we got here, Chinese food and a movie are now a Jewish custom, something many Jews do because we are Jewish and know that it is something many other Jews do as well.
In other words, Chinese food and a movie are no longer a fall back for people who neither celebrate Christmas nor have other family members to celebrate with but these practices are now a specifically Jewish tradition. Not every Jew chooses to partake which makes it like every other Jewish ritual. When we call up another Jewish friend and ask them their plans for Christmas we may well be saying which restaurant and which movie? If, like our family, you keep kosher you know that the few kosher Chinese options will be packed, even for take out and ordering days in advance is necessary (we got the last slot for pickup this year). Most of all, in a country where Christmas covers everything like a blanket, Jews can choose to be connected to being Jewish on that same day by simply opting in to an improbable custom that is shared by many Jews who are observant as well as those who eat Mooshu Pork on the regular. Of course many ways to be part of living a Jewish life and strengthening our Jewish bonds run much deeper and our more impactful. Still, there is room at the table to dip an egg roll in a little duck sauce and share a wish that the new calendar year is much sweeter than it is sour. That’s not exactly a blessing, but it will do for now