Holiday Spirit’s Alive and Well

Sitting in a Starbucks while writing this column, employees are full of joy, joking, smiling, laughing, while making holiday overtime pay. It’s Christmas today, and I’m at a location that’s open on this holiday. The crew behind the counter are wearing ugly sweaters and greeting drivers through the drive through with a smile and “Merry Christmas” as customers drive away.

On the way here, I witnessed numerous cars on the road with Christmas wreaths secured to the front grill, some bearing reindeer antlers on the doorframe and a few with Rudolph red noses affixed to the hood ornament.

Here at this Starbucks, an assortment of gift cards are front and center, positioned next to the cashiers. You can choose one from several winter and holiday scenes, Christmas trees, snowy hills, and there’s even a Hanukkah menorah card design with dreidel and gelt.

In the San Francisco’s prominent Union Square, struggling these years to rise above the reputation of thefts, lootings and daytime robberies, a temporary ice skating rink is currently set up, skaters local and from out of town skate to lively Christmas jingles. Bundled-up kids laugh, hold hands with their parents and skate around wearing red stocking caps and Christmas sweaters.

This Wednesday evening, December 25th 2024 sees the confluence of two holidays, Christmas Day and then at nightfall, the start of the 8-day celebration of Hanukkah. Neighborhoods around San Francisco each have their own Jewish rabbi and leaders gather their congregants to ceremonially kindle the first candle of the holiday. Many synagogues will similarly mark this occasion indoors, singing the prayer upon lighting that candle, then partake in munching on jelly-filled donuts and fried potato latkes.

Religion-as-tradition is alive and well in San Francisco. The fact this is even questioned is puzzling. But as we’ve learned and witnessed, the idea of suppressing the phrases “Merry Christmas” gained steam years ago with Left-wing Progressives and atheists. Like their comrades of the last century, religion should be cleansed from society. They’ve failed.

So, it’s a relief to find joy, spirit, family gatherings, songs and food, especially in San Francisco.

There is a controversial young women named Michelle Tandler, a native of San Francisco and somehow a darling of certain tech fanboys. She often posts long, bizarre, stream-of-consciousness ramblings which read more diary entry than meaningful insight. Yet she often gets big engagement from her followers, much turning to scorn for airhead-esque dumb takes. Last week, Tandler claimed San Francisco is essentially Godless. This, despite both her parents being very involved in the city’s Jewish community, in a major synagogue and their extensive philanthropy, and have been for years. Decades even.

A few little birdies recently whispered to me Michelle Tandler is actually a legal resident of New York, at least since mid-2023. This makes Tandler not only a discredited witness to current San Francisco happenings, her “godless” statement is also clearly out of touch.

There are 61,000 Jewish residents of San Francisco, and we are active in our own way, across the city, throughout the year, observing a multitude of holidays and lifecycle events. God is certainly present at Jewish births, Bris (circumcision), Bar/Bat mitzvahs, weddings, and deaths, as well as Hanukkah, Passover, and Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. There’s even a quite successful LGBTQ congregation here. Similarly, Christians with churches and several large cathedrals dot the city map with their prayer services, holiday observances and lifecycle events, in great numbers.

Nancy Pelosi, arguably the matriarch of San Francisco’s political class, faces a ban from taking communion in her own home town due to her stance on abortion. That ruling by the city’s archbishop is being appealed to the Pope himself. If God is allegedly dead in San Francisco, this slap to Pelosi proves otherwise.

Union Square is filled with holiday revelers this time of year. Both an annual lighting of the Christmas tree and the 8 nights of Hanukkah candle lit ceremoniously, the two symbols of the city’s major religions and traditions placed within feet of each other in public celebration, both illuminating and a powerful presence.

So, it is okay to say Merry Christmas. It’s okay to wish a Happy Hanukkah. I highly encourage it. I also highly encourage readers to ignore those who desire to cleanse society of our happiness and cheer. Don’t listen to petulant atheists. They don’t represent the majority, as they seek only to diminish and dismiss our joyous feelings. Instead, seek out Christmas parties, gather together with friends and family, go to a public Hanukkah menorah lighting, kiss under the mistletoe, eat a freshly-baked jelly donut. You’ll be all the better for it.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, y’all!