Brookwrite

Regifting holidays

by Doug Brook
Southern Jewish Life columnist

Once upon a time, Purim was the Jewish holiday for gift giving. Chanukah was the holiday of gelt giving -- not to be confused with guilt giving which, in Jewish culture, has never required a holiday of its own.

The shift to Chanukah of gift giving occurred largely due to external socio-cultural pressures, and some really good sales in December.

Chanukah gift giving arose soon after Christmas became a national American holiday in the late 1800s. This is one example of how religious practices periodically shift, sometimes to match the world at large.

So, what would happen if gift giving were to shift again? This time from Chanukah to another Jewish holiday? Or, to ask it another way, what would Jewish gift giving look like if Christmas had fallen near a different calendar milestone in the first place?

Let's begin with the September holidays, as that's the timeframe when researchers commonly say Christ was really born, rather than late December. (Of course, biblically, the new year starts in Nisan, the month of Passover. But, like politicians, let's avoid getting sidetracked by research or facts.)

Rosh Hashanah is already a holiday where Jews indulge in apples and honey. Even though Rosh Hashanah is not actually a gift-giving holiday, Apple's annual September announcement of its latest iPhone, iPad, iMac, or iEverything would horn in on the holiday faster than you can blow a shofar.

Would gift-giving on Rosh Hashanah have changed the fundamental theological intent of the holiday? Sure, but not as much as its successor...

Yom Kippur. With presents. But, wait. Don't give up on the idea too fast. We're not starved for justification.

Yom Kippur is traditionally about receiving the gift of your X inscribed in the Book of Life for another year. What's more, Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, and how do many people atone? By giving stuff to the people they've wronged. Even the Yom Kippur service involved a large afternoon ritual of sacrifices to the Big G.

Just think of it. If Christmas fell in September, there might have been volumes of rabbinic dispute about whether it's best to give gifts before Kol Nidre (thus distracting all day by wanting to play with them) or after Neilah (thus distracting all day with anticipation of what they might be). Also, people too eager to open their gifts might forget their post-fast apple juice and collapse in mid-unwrap. Worst of all would be, "Happy Yom Kippur!"

If Sukkot were the gift giving holiday, it qould look a bit more like Christmas. Gifts could be piled in the sukkah, under a bunch of festively arranged green branches. What a lovely image, until it rains. Or outdoor pests invade the wrapping in the evening.

That leads to giving gifts on Simchat Torah. It's already a festive day, lots of celebration. While the Torah wasn't given on Simchat Torah (bonus if you remember when), it celebrates the gift of the Torah.

Passover would be an ideal holiday for gifts. It even already has a tradition built in of giving a gift to whoever finds the afikomen. And it might be nice to receive something better from seder guests than some of the dishes they bring. (To other people's seders. Ours are yum.)

Scholars can debate whether, if Shavuot were the gift-giving holiday, anyone would start observing it more. Gift of the Torah, give gifts. It's a perfect fit. What's more, not only is it relatively unobserved, few people even remember what it's for. If it got commercialized, little would need to be forgotten.

There are others -- think of the gift-giving potential for Tisha B'Av or the minor fast days -- but consider that all of these holidays have seemingly apparent gift connections. But what about the holidays that have actually been for gift giving before?

Purim celebrates avoiding a genocide. Jews wear costumes, make lots of noise, and drink until they can't tell the good guy from the bad guy. Chanukah is about the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and spinning tops. Aside from gift giving being generically celebratory, what do these holidays have to do with presents?

Doug Brook is a regifted writer in Silicon Valley, who expects Tu B'Shevat to become the next gift-giving bonanza. Think after-Christmas sales. For past columns, other writings, and more, visit http://brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, like facebook.com/the.beholders.eye.