12/24/14

Atlantic: Why Do American Jews Eat Chinese Food on Christmas?


I always assumed it was because all of the other restaurants were closed!

Chuck Schumer agrees as the article notes citing the confirmation hearing of Elana Kagan to the Supreme Court. When asked where she was on one Christmas she replied:
During an otherwise tense series of exchanges, Senator Lindsey Graham paused to ask Kagan where she had spent the previous Christmas. To great laughter, she replied: “You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant.”

Never willing to let a moment pass without remark, Senator Chuck Schumer jumped in to explain, “If I might, no other restaurants are open.”
Schumer might but editor Chandler has more to say about this matter up to and including this bon mot, "I would argue that Chinese food is the ethnic cuisine of American Jews."

I think he goes to far looking for more meanings in this quirk of acculturation. (Hat tip to K!)

1 comment:

MAOZ said...

I heard it said once that, since in the Hebrew calendar this is 5775 and in the Chinese calendar it's 4710, the big question is: What did Jews do during those first 1,065 years when there was no Chinese food??