When I was in college (the last time) I had a radio show on the campus radio station, 91.5 FM WUML Lowell. For a stretch of time we did a 30 minute segment with the school’s men’s basketball coach. I don’t remember how we got on the subject, but there was a time when we were talking about Christmas for some reason. It was probably just before the end of the Fall semester and we probably all had Christmas break on the brain. Whatever.

The basketball coach (whose name is escaping me right now, I’m old and this was nearly 20 years ago after all*) was telling us about his Christmas tradition. He is Jewish, so he and some family members would spend Christmas day going out to eat at a Chinese food restaurant and then going home and watching Star Trek. I don’t know about the rest of you, but that sounds like a fantastic way to spend a day to me.

I joked with Jen the other day that, with Christmas day essentially being called off for us, we should follow the coach’s tradition. We laughed about it. Then we started planning what to do for Christmas dinner and we moved on with our lives. This morning, Jen changed her mind. We’re going to try and get some Chinese food for Christmas dinner. I don’t know if we’ll be able to get it delivered so it might not happen, but we’re going to take a shot.

That got me thinking. Is Chinese food at Christmas really a Jewish tradition? I know exactly one person who does it, but television and movies make it seem like they all do it. Do they? To the Google I go!

Why Do Jewish People Eat Chinese Food On Christmas?

So there you have it! NPR says it’s real so that’s good enough for me. That means we are officially stepping on the toes of a major religion’s (unofficial) Christmas tradition. I hope that’s okay with everyone, what with us not being Jewish at all.

I’ll let you know how it goes. Fingers crossed for delivery options.

---

*It was Ken Barer, the winningest coach in UMass Lowell Men’s Basketball history. Now that I have read this over I am starting to doubt that story a little. I am 90% sure that he was the one who shared this with us, but my usual sense of crippling doubt is making me question if I have the details right. It doesn’t matter to the post, really. I just like getting the facts straight.