I did not ask Janis to convert to Judaism before we got married. It was her choice. I’ll talk about that more in another post. But my brother required his wife to convert in order to get married. Their first Christmas together Nikki wanted a Christmas tree. The family very adamantly told her that we’re Jewish and do not celebrate Christmas. The hypocrisy was more than I could take. I explained to Janis we had trees every year and we got presents from Santa. But we called it a Hannukah Bush! I also distinctly remembered when I was 8 and discovered Santa was a myth (like an honest lawyer!) and was bribed with extra presents to not tell my brother who was only 5. I don’t know if I’ve told yet about my brother and I being Santa Clauses for the Winn-Dixie food chain but if not I will write that post!

Janis and I went to her friends uncle’s nursery. We bought a little Norfolk pine in a one-gallon pot. We then went to Kmart to buy tinsel and lights and decorative shiny balls. That poor little Norfolk pine was bent practically over to the side with everything on it. We then put it on a little stand between our living room and dining room and invited my grandparents (my mother’s parents), my parents and my brother and Nikki for coffee and cake one night.

So what do they see when we walk into our house but our Hanukkah Bush! Nobody said a damned word. That little Norfolk pine was our Christmas tree for many years till it was transplanted outside.