xmas – Jewcy https://jewcy.com Jewcy is what matters now Tue, 25 Jan 2022 06:45:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.5 https://jewcy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cropped-Screen-Shot-2021-08-13-at-12.43.12-PM-32x32.png xmas – Jewcy https://jewcy.com 32 32 A New York City Guide to Chinese Food on Christmas https://jewcy.com/food/a-new-york-city-guide-to-chinese-food-on-christmas?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-new-york-city-guide-to-chinese-food-on-christmas https://jewcy.com/food/a-new-york-city-guide-to-chinese-food-on-christmas#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2021 05:01:00 +0000 https://jewcy.com/?p=161726 Your go-to guide to the beloved American Jewish tradition.

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]]> Every American Jew knows that eating Chinese food on Christmas is a sacred, time-honored tradition  — especially in New York, where it has practically become a rite of passage. 

The century-old practice is so widely observed that there are countless articles, parodies, and even an entire Wikipedia page on “Jewish American Chinese restaurant patronage.” Some restaurants in NYC have gone along with the joke and switched to Chinese cuisine for the day.

Jews began this tradition at the end of the 19th century on the Lower East Side, where Eastern European Jewish and Chinese immigrants lived side-by-side. The densely populated neighborhood was crowded with Chinese restaurants, where Jews felt accepted and safer than they did at the more “fashionable” Italian and German spots.

To be expected, few restaurants stayed open on Christmas. Chinese immigrants, however, saw no reason to close their restaurants and lose a day of sales for a holiday they did not celebrate. Thus, Jewish and Chinese communities were bonded not only by their shared immigrant and refugee experiences, but also by their  “otherness” on Christmas.

Plus, Chinese cooking is virtually dairy-free, which is helpful for Jews who observe Kosher laws and cannot mix dairy and meat.

This list of Chinese restaurants in NYC was crowd‑sourced from trusted friends and family. Of course, there are some famous ones, as well as vegan and celiac‑friendly options. 

Make sure you check in advance to see which spots are open on Christmas Eve vs. Day. And if you’re ordering delivery, please tip well, as we are still in a pandemic and delivery workers are risking their health to bring us food! 

Now let’s begin.

  1. Jing Fong Restaurant (Upper West Side, Chinatown)
  1. Han Dynasty (East Village, Upper West Side, Brooklyn)
  1. Nom Wah (Nolita, Chinatown)
  1. Atlas Kitchen (Harlem)
  1. Birds of a Feather (Brooklyn)
  1. Little Alley (Midtown)
  1. Fat Choy (Chinatown)
  1. The Handpulled Noodle (Harlem)
  1. Shun Lee (Upper West Side, Midtown)
  1. Mr. Chow (Midtown East, Tribeca)
  1. AweSum DimSum (Flatiron)
  1. Golden Unicorn (Chinatown)
  1. Spicy Moon (Greenwich Village, Noho)
  1. Tri-Dim Shanghai (Upper East Side, Upper West Side)
  1. RedFarm (West Village, Upper West Side)
  1. Hao Noodle and Tea (Meatpacking)
  1. Café China (Midtown)
  1. La Salle Dumpling Room (Morningside Heights)

Lastly, if you are healthy and up for a fun night out, check out the one-night-only return of legendary Moshe Peking for a 70’s-style Kosher Chinese prix-fixe dinner at Wall Street Grill, prepared by chefs Eric Huang and Joseph Paulino and hosted by Tablet Magazine!

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]]> https://jewcy.com/food/a-new-york-city-guide-to-chinese-food-on-christmas/feed 3693 Christmas: Eight Things to Do if You’re a Jew https://jewcy.com/news/xmas-things-to-do-if-youre-a-jew?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=xmas-things-to-do-if-youre-a-jew https://jewcy.com/news/xmas-things-to-do-if-youre-a-jew#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000 https://jewcy.com/?p=161755 Might as well keep yourself busy! Or not!

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]]> I’m used to escaping to the beach back in Panama and spending the week of Christmas pretending nothing but the pool and my dogs exist with my Orthodox family up until New Years. This year, for the first time, however, I will be spending the holiday in a cold and COVID-ridden New York City. Oysh.

So, if you’re like me and are set on not celebrating the birth of Jesus, but need some mundane and leisurely activities to keep you busy on your day off while the world is on pause, I got you. We’ll brainstorm together. I already have some ideas.

  1. The Classic Jewish-American Tradition

Can’t rate this one first hand, given that I’ve yet to partake in it. (This year will be my first time and I can’t wait!) But Chinese food on Christmas is a very sweet tradition that American Jews seem to cherish. And I agree. The non-commemoration of the most famous goyishe holiday with an intercultural feast is such a home run. Follow up your meal with a late night movie for a truly authentic night.

  1. Pretend It’s Still Hanukkah

No need to be salty that our holidays are over, while everyone else is celebrating theirs. Just pretend they aren’t! I wouldn’t say the prayers or actually light a menorah. And definitely don’t say the prayers–G-d’s name in vain and all. But listening to some Hanukkah music, sufganiyot, and latkes are not a bad deal. Watch A Rugrats Chanukah for some extra fun, too.

  1. Drink And Watch Netflix

The second season of Emily in Paris with Jewish actress Lily Collins (yes she is, Google it) is out and if you haven’t binged it in its entirety yet, this is the time to do it. And get some wine, while you’re at it. Other options are the terrible new Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That… or whatever Succession is.

Of course, if you’re looking to live vicariously through your laptop screen, you can watch Christmas movies, duh. Serendipity will be my recommendation here because I’m a sucker for rom-coms and Love, Actually doesn’t do it for me. There’s also a Christmas-themed reality dating show on HBO Max called 12 Dates of Christmas. And I don’t know why I had never heard of it until this week, but you can bet that’s what I’ll be consuming on the evening of December 24.

  1. Learn About Jewish Suffering

Like I said before, there’s no need to be salty. But if you choose to, that’s valid and know that I support you. I won’t point you to anything about the Shoah, because I’ll suggest that you stay more on theme this season.

Did you know that since the middle ages up until relatively recent times, some Christian communities in Europe would use December 25th to launch pogroms against Jewish communities? Because they blamed us for Jesus’ death and all that jazz. Not cool! Read about it!

There’s also the Inquisition, which most Jews know very little about. You can read about that too. Why not.

5. Walk The Empty Streets

It’s literally the perfect night to feed your main character complex and hit the empty lit-up streets. How emo! All you’ll need is headphones (preferably not wireless because vibes) and some cash just in case your run into your bashert and end up going on a one-night adventure. Cut to the wedding scene! I told you I’m a sucker for rom-coms…

6. Be Shomer Shabbos

This year, Christmas falls on Shabbat. But even if you’re reading this on a year that it doesn’t, isn’t observing the weekly Jewish holiday a great way to disconnect yourself from all the Christmas frenzy? Turn off your phone, grab a few books, and voila. Christmas passed and you didn’t even notice. 

…Except being shomer is pretty hard, and that’s probably unrealistic if you’re going cold turkey. But this is the best night to give it a try! If you can’t fully dive in, try starting small. Maybe just no phone for 25 hours? Easy enough?

7. Nittel Nacht

Did you know Chasidic Jews have their own Christmas tradition? Yeah, me neither. Unlike Jews on the more secular Jews’ Chinese food tradition, it is less of an alternate activity as it is a diss. Drama!!!

The custom of Nittel Nacht (nacht meaning ‘night’, and nittel deriving from the Hebrew niteleh, ‘the hanged one’) dates back to the 16th century, but tensions date back to the writing of the text Toledot Yeshu, a Jewish telling of Jesus’ story–and not a very flattering one.

It is a custom to not study Torah. Some rabbis even forbid having sex! Instead, they partake in other activities such as playing chess or cards, while others read Toledot Yeshu to remember the longstanding feud.

8. Sleep In

As good an option as any. Listen, I will definitely be indulging in some well-deserved rest, and so should you! Honestly, it’s not like I have any Christmas presents to wake up to unless you count my daily dose of Adderall.

Worst comes to worst and none of these options appeals to you, hit me up and we can play some board games or something. I have no plans so…

Anyway, Happy Not-Our-Holiday and Shabbat Shalom!

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]]> https://jewcy.com/news/xmas-things-to-do-if-youre-a-jew/feed 4486 Jewltide https://jewcy.com/news/jewltide?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jewltide https://jewcy.com/news/jewltide#respond Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:34:51 +0000 http://www.jewcy.com/?p=37544 If you don’t have a tree, you don’t have an excuse! JDub Records & Jewcy Present: JEWLTIDE Featuring a Live Band Karaoke Contest Saturday, December 25, 2010 8PM Southpaw 125 Fifth Ave. Brooklyn, NY DJs, Drink Specials, Doughnuts $10 / 21+ $1 from each ticket will be going to God’s Love We Deliver, which works…

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]]> If you don’t have a tree, you don’t have an excuse!

JDub Records & Jewcy Present: JEWLTIDE
Featuring a Live Band Karaoke Contest

Saturday, December 25, 2010 8PM
Southpaw 125 Fifth Ave. Brooklyn, NY
DJs, Drink Specials, Doughnuts
$10 / 21+

$1 from each ticket will be going to God’s Love We Deliver, which works to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition.

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