What Do Jewish People Do On Christmas? Things To Do On Dec. 25 If You're Not Christian

While Christians have stockings hung with care and sugar-plum fairies dance in their heads, some are left to wonder: What do Jewish people do on Christmas? Most -- actually, practically all -- stores and restaurants are closed on Christmas, so it makes things difficult, but there are some traditions in which many non-Christians participate.

Chinese Food:

Eating Chinese food on Christmas is a big tradition for some Jewish people. Just like in the famous scene from “A Christmas Story” where the family gathers around the table and sings “Deck the Halls” with the restaurant workers after their dinner is ruined, non-Christians will opt for Chinese food since there are not many operations working on the holiday.

There’s also a quote by Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan from her confirmation hearing. When she was asked what she did for Christmas, she cheekily responded, “You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant.” Sen. Chuck Schumer interjected, “If I might, no other restaurants are open.”

Another reason, Chinese food can also be considered kosher. “Chinese restaurants were the easiest place to trick yourself into thinking you were eating kosher food,” Ed Schonfeld, the owner of RedFarm, said, according to The Atlantic.

Let’s Go To The Movies:

One of the best ways to enjoy a day where seemingly everyone is off and nothing else is open is to head to the movies. Aside from it being something to do, some of the best movies of the year come out on Christmas Day, and there’s a good reason for this. Dec. 25 is the cutoff date for movies of that year to be considered for an Academy Award. As a way for the movie to remain fresh in voters' minds, many Oscar contenders are released Dec. 25. This year, moviegoers can check out highly anticipated films like “Into the Woods,” “Big Eyes,” “The Imitation Game,” and even “The Interview,” which will now premiere in some theaters.

Go To The Matzoball:

The Matzoball is one of the biggest events for Jewish singles on Christmas Eve. It’s held in different cities throughout the U.S. and “guarantee[s] that you always have a place to party and to guarantee that you will never be the lonely Jew on Christmas and now this year, we’re expanding!” Check out the website here for a full list of venues.

Go To Work:

Some Jewish people will volunteer to work on Christmas if to give their Christian co-workers time to spend with their families for the holiday.

Spend Time With Family:

Since most people are off, it's a good time to catch up with family and friends. Some people might even have Christian friends with whom they want to celebrate. Even if Jewish people don't believe in the religious aspect of Christmas, some like to participate in the cultural traditions.

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