Originally posted Dec. 24, 2008
On Dec. 25, thoughts about food naturally turn to mince meat pies, eggnog, a turkey dinner - or, sometimes, Chinese food.
Chinese restaurants are among the few that are open on Christmas Day, and many are packed with patrons, especially non-Christians for whom the holiday is just another day.
"For years, I've told everyone my best day is always Christmas Day," said Emily Crell, who owns Forbidden City in Virginia Beach.
Crell, a restaurateur for 30 years, said customers have already made reservations for Christmas Day. "I'd highly recommend, even for two people, that they call ahead," she said. "We'll be busy."
The notion of Chinese restaurants as the dining-out option of last resort on Dec. 25 was captured in the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story," in which a family orders duck at a Chinese eatery after a neighbor's dogs steal their Christmas turkey.
The scene was borrowed from real life - lots of restaurants are closed for the holiday. The reason Chinese restaurants remain open is part economics, part Chinese work ethic.
"We have a big restaurant, we have a lot of overhead, so we keep the door open all year," said Daniel Zhang, who owns DW's Grill Mongolian BBQ in Virginia Beach. "Actually, Christmas Day for us is like Mother's Day, it's so busy."
Another reason Crell stays open: "For us, Christmas is not a big thing - we're all Buddhists," she said.
Restaurant owners say their Christmas Day crowds include singles, members of the military far from home, travelers and bored young people fleeing from family get-togethers.
In recent years, Crell has seen more patrons, especially from India.
"We have all different nationalities, but most are not Christian or Catholic, so they just don't just celebrate," she said.
For one Jewish family, "it's Chinese food and a movie," Rabbi Israel Zoberman said of his household's Dec. 25 tradition.
"It's hard to find restaurants that are open on Christmas Day, and it just so happens that it seems a number of Chinese restaurants are always open," said Zoberman, who leads Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach. "That's when fellow Jews see each other," he said.
Zoberman, who grew up in Israel, called it "a uniquely American Jewish experience my wife and I cherish."
For 15 years or more, some members of Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk have gathered on Christmas Eve at a Chinese restaurant. The gathering typically draws 35 or 40 people from a variety of synagogues and social circles.
"We wouldn't be sitting down to a traditional Christmas dinner as most Christian people are doing, but we do want to have our own form of family and fellowship," said Alan Troy, a temple member since 1976. "It's just fun."
Steven G. Vegh, (757) 446-2417, steven.vegh@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
wspeid
I think you have displaced your anger at your boss onto the posters here, who have mostly been a mild lot, wishing everybody else joy on their own personal holiday!
I think what your boss did was unconscionable, and I am a Christian. For heaven's sakes, anyone with any theological background at all realizes that Christ celebrated the Festival of Lights (Chanukah) in the book of John (don't recall the chapter right now). If our Lord, the Jewish Messiah, celebrated the holiday, what would offend a Christian about a menorah???!!!
It is sad...
there are people who are supposed to be happy celebrating, yes celebrating, their holiday and they can still remain so hostile and abrasive in spouting their "facts".
Last year my firm's office manager cancelled the annual Christmas party and took down all the decorations because the owner asked her to put up a menorah so the Jewish employees would feel festive as well. She found the idea offensive to her as a Christian and she sent out an email saying the Jews in the office had ruined Christmas for everyone.
Some people just use their religion as a tool to beat down others while complaining they're under attack. Guess we haven't learned much since the founding Diests (now incorrectly called something else) fled the zealots and their churches back in Europe.
How about giving us just one day off from your negativity so WE can celebrate something?
Some added comments...
Checking up on this post, some additional comments to my previous post...
I hope when we say the blessing in Christ name before eating at the Chinese buffet at an establishment to be un-named, we elicit a response from some anti-Christian hater, "hey, you're not suppose to be here!" That happened one year by some Jewish lady. On the flip side, our religious friends who call themselves Christians give us a hard time too, saying real Christians eat turkey at home. Both of which have no Biblical basis for their statements. So, we're disliked on both sides, just like Jesus was.
In fact, we know of a carryout ran by Chinese Christians. They operate on December 25 since the family spends most of time at the restaurant anyway. Serving food is seen as part of the ministry as well as making money. Money is donated to the Chinese Church. The cross hanging up in back does not turn away business.
Jesus was born on some day and it was decided by men (not God) that Dec. 25 would be the observed day for His birth. Like I said, He showed up is all that matters...
Just ignore the trollers
Just ignore the trollers with the same old cliche Christmas bashing/religion stereotyping. They are just sad, little people trying to get others worked up and get some attention. It's pretty much been a Christmas tradition since the early days of computer bulletin boards.
Jewish folks CROWD Chinese restaurants in Florida
In South Florida, the Chinese restaurants are always PACKED on Christmas Day because of the large Jewish population there. It's a tradition right up there with Santa Claus and a tree for us gentiles.
Christmas simply makes me
Christmas simply makes me feel good. It evokes memories of happy times past with my family, it's an opportunity to make new happy memories, I get to do nice things for people, people seem inclined to do nice things for me, I hum carols with abandon, and walk around with a stupid smile on myself without risk of men in white coats taking me to the funny farm.
I decorated a tree with my kids and, although we really enjoy having it bright and lighting up the living room, we honestly do not worship it.
I'll be going to Midnight Mass tonight to celebrate the birth of Christ with a whole bunch of other people, and I will wish you all the very best of the season if I run into you.
So, Merry Christmas, Mele Kalikimaka, Happy Kwaana, Happy Chanuka and - most importantly - Peace and Good Will to All!
What about me...
I'm a Christian. And I know that Christmas Dec. 25 is not the actual birthday of Christ. The actual date, that is sort of a moot point. The main thing is that he showed up. As for the holiday, my family doesn't want to work (i.e. cook) on our day off. So we eat Chinese since nobody else is open. Its not in the Bible that one should not eat at a commercial restaurant on December 25. Plus, we can use our kindness as we're waiting in line to get that General Tso's Chicken to express our faith without saying a word.
So, you might see me at your area Chinese buffet on Christmas Day! And about work ethic...I'm Cantonese, 2nd generation American born, with a masters in Civil Engineering. Work ethic...my grandparents came to this county with nothing (i.e. very poor) fleeing the Communists/Mao Zedong in China. So I have authority on that issue too.
cigim94543
*** and welcome in the year of the OX Lunar New Year 4706. wow, that cultures been around along time - don't you think?****
If you think that is a long time....The first Day of Chanukah started on December 21, 2008 which on the Jewish Calendar is 25th day of Kislev, year 5769.....now that has been around a long time. Happy Holidays all, for whatever holiday you celebrate, including the winter solstice.
USV
You're being funny, right?
And Eileen, dear, I might wish you a merry Christmas in a store, then smile warmly when you respond "Happy Chanukah." I don't know of many Christians who discriminate against Jewish people, seeing as that is where our Savior came from.
I don't think there is anything wrong with diverse holidays but some Christians do get fed up when someone acts as though "Christmas" is now a forbidden word (it means "Christ's Mass"). I am not sure I see where the controversy is, but everyone is entitled to their own thoughts . . .
Christmas
PS: we don't worship the tree, we worship the Man who hung on a tree and shed His blood for us so that we could have everlasting life in heaven with Him after we die. We don't know the exact time or date that He was born so we celebrate His birthday on the 25th of December. There are good reasons why that date, but there isn't room to go into the story. We just BELIEVE! God bless!
Holiday Traditions
Get used to Christianity, it is the religion that started this country. Trees and lights and the spirit of giving just amplify everyones good feeling towards one and another. And for all of you that have such problems with that "Bah Humbug." Just remember you came to us, we didn't come to you. There probably was not a single Jew,Muslim,or Buddhist at Plymouth Rock or Jamestown.
Have a great time off 'work' for this event -
I dressed a halloween scarecrow in a santa suit placed a sign on him
'Happy Christmas - Now Gimmee' same effct as trick or treat don't you think??
I and billions of others have woken up and refuse to be regulated into observing any 'mass contrived event' with the exception of thanksgiving - now there's a holiday that only celebrated in America by hopefully All americans. Enjoy the General Po! and welcome in the year of the OX Lunar New Year 4706. wow, that cultures been around along time - don't you think?
pagan tree???
Sorry my Jewish pal, we do NOT worship a pagan tree. Anyone can have a Christmas tree, and decorate it, that is part of the Santa idea. I have no problem with people going out and seeing a movie on December 25th, you have every right. Just hate when people think we celebrate a tree that is not true.
Christmas
Just so you know....CHRISTmas is to celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. We honor Him and His birth in a stable in a lowly manger.
It is because of this birth and His eventual crucifiction we are blessed to be called Christians and, with confessing our sins and accepting Him AS our Savior, we can spend eternity with Him in a place called Heaven. My heartfelt prayer is that all who don't know Him in this way, will pray to Him and invite Him into THEIR hearts this Christmas Eve and begin the New Year with the most awesome Peace they have ever known. God bless you all! Patti in NC
Downplaying Christmas
I am not sure how I am "downplaying" Christmas, since I am not Christian and do not worship a pagan tree. My traditional December 25th holiday is Chinese and a Movie. I have been doing that since I was a child. Sometimes I go alone, sometimes I bring friends with me. But not celebrating a holiday that is not a part of my religion is not going to destroy Christian ideals. And trust me, there is no downplaying Christianity anywhere in this country....you get it thrown in your face every where you go and get dirty looks if its not your belief. I have no problem with store greeters saying "Merry Christmas" to me when I enter the store, but you should see the looks when I counter with Happy Chanukah.
Even the smallest things
Even the smallest things count, so let's continue to do whatever we possibly can to downplay Christianity. It's not as if Western society has Christianity in large part to thank for its prosperity; anyway, our more recent Sixties psycho baggage is and should be more influential when forming our opinions. Happy Kwanzaa and Festivus!
Deck the Halls with Bells of Hory...
Fa Ra Ra Ra Raaaa Ra Ra Ra Ra...
that's a classic movie. When the guy complains about the duck looking at them and the waiter chops off the head...
Not just for Christians
Despite the modern name, Christmas has always been bigger than a Christian holiday. The Christian part didn't even come until later in history. It's an excuse to get away from the daily grind, brighten up the cold winter months, slack off work, ignore the diet, spoil the kids, and spend some time with family and friends. I think those are universally fun no matter what your faith.