Things that make me sad: non-work edition

[tahnan]

My ex pointed me to an eBay auction for "Towle Sterling Silver Christmas Ornament 1973 Minora". It's a sterling silver medallion, a little over two inches in diameter, with a Star of David on one side and, in spite of the vendor's inability to spell, a seven-branched menorah on the other. At the top is a hole with a loop through it.

She wondered why anyone would make a Christmas ornament with a Jewish theme. I wondered why the vendor would assume that it was a Christmas ornament in the first place ("it's Chanukah themed! It has a loop in the top for hanging! It must go on a Christmas tree!"), especially one that says "1948-1973" at the top and "Israel" in Hebrew at the bottom. Sure enough, some extended poking at Google turns up this page in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of May 3, 1973, well outside the Christmas-ornament season. In the lower left corner is an ad for a "State of Israel Medallion", which makes it clear that the medallion commemorates the 25th anniversary of the founding of Israel and is in fact a pendant designed to be worn on a chain.

Why, I ask you, why must everything be about Christmas?

(In other news, I didn't even know Google had a searchable archive of printed newspapers. Also, even in 1973, Marmaduke wasn't remotely funny.)

Comments

[bookishfellow.livejournal.com]

Why anyone would make a Christmas ornament with a Jewish theme? For people to give to me, apparently. I have received hrair ornaments with Stars of David on them, no menorahs but several explicitly referring to Hanukkah. Some of them even date back to before I was married to a goy.

[(Anonymous)]

Thumbs-up for casual use of "hrair". I may have to take that up.

[rubrick.livejournal.com]

Gah. That was me. I was wondering why I suddenly had to go through a captcha.

[tahnan.livejournal.com]

...wait, "hrair" wasn't a typo? google google google

[aliza250.livejournal.com]

Nope, you'd need to Google it at least 5 times. :-)

[agrimony.livejournal.com]

Maybe it would be a Jews for Jesus christmas tree ornament! :)

[kirbyk.livejournal.com]

They mean well.

That's the sad part.

[cazique.livejournal.com]

why is it sad? Shouldn't we be happy that Christians* think that celebrating an occasion like that with a commemorative item such as this? Striving to make a mountain out of not-even-a molehill, sounds like.

Intended to be a christmas ornament =/=> is a christmas ornament
Wasn't intended to be a christmas ornament =/=> can't be a christmas ornament

[jeffurrynpl.livejournal.com]

I'm with you, tahnan, and it just so happens that I came across a book at Borders today with just this sentiment: The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story by Lemony Snicket. It was so cute and funny it makes me want to start reading his Series of Unfortunate Events.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

We were treated to a dramatic reading of this at a latke party I attended on Wednesday. It was surprisingly effective.

[jeffurrynpl.livejournal.com]

How wonderful. I hope the screaming was dramatic and that the reader showed the illustrations.

[aliza250.livejournal.com]

I may need to go find this book...

[aliza250.livejournal.com]

Sadder yet: in 1973, many people thought wearing 2-inch-diameter medallions was cool.

[tahnan.livejournal.com]

You raise a particularly valid point.