This article is reproduced by permission of the author.
Twas the time before Christmas and all through the fog, not a rabbi was stirring, not one Synagogue!
NOT PAGAN
Far from popular myths about Pagan origins of Christmas, many traditions surrounding it actually preserve elements of Hasmonean Judaism related to a 3 day event of darkest winter referred to as the Tekufat of Tevet in the Talmud (originally when the sun enters Capricorn) which had become the Julian "Solstice" in Christendom until the 1582 calendar reform.
ADAM'S WINTER FESTIVITIES
Some have said that Hanukah revived observance of an ancient Feast mentioned in Avoda Zara 6a-b which tells us that an 8 day celebration was originally established before the Tekufat of Tevet (9-17 Tevet) by Adam and Eve following a period of fasting and abstinence the previous year while the northern hemisphere approached this darkest time of the year. After the Tekufat of Tevet Adam and Eve noticed the day got a little bit longer and appointed another 8 day celebration which is also still respected in Judaism. These celebrations were corrupted by the Romans into Saturnalia (Dec 17) and Kalenda (Dec 25) respectively.
Saturnalia is the pagan form of the Tekufat of Tevet (9th to 17th of Teveth) which marks the darkest northern time of the year between Hanukkah and Kalenda. It it is supposed to have been referred to as Nittel as early as Rashi.
THE DARKEST NIGHT
Among Eastern Yiddish speakers, the darkest night (Saturnalia) goes by a variety of different names such as Fintstere Nakht (Starless Night), Moyredike Nahcht (Murderous Night), and Blinde Nahcht (Blind Night). In total there are more than a dozen terms Yiddish speakers have used to name the Saturnalian time of transition between Hanukkah and Kalenda according to the Language and Culture Atlas of Ashkenazic Jewry (LCAAJ) which we will get into later
TITHE YEAR'S END
The Tekufat of Tevet is also relevant in observing certain commandments such as setting aside a Tithe (10th) of our wealth (Deuteronomy 14:22-29) with which we are to celebrate a pilgrimage each year. But which pilgrimage? Though never explicitly explained in the Bible, we see that various times of the year other than the 7 Holy days have also been appointed for it by various rulers. For example Cheshvan 15th by wicked Jeroboam, or Purim by the Babylonian Jews. Hasmonean Judaism gave us Hanukkah which was appointed by a miracle.
TU B'SHEVAT
The law on Tithing is clarified by the Oral Torah concept of tu b'shevat -preparations for which began during Hanukkah. The idea behind using garlands for Hanukkah and decorating the Hanukah Bush (which influenced the Paradise tree ancestor of Christmas trees) comes from the Hasmonean Minhag of tying ribbons around the fruit on the bows of various fruitful trees before Tu beShevat, to distinguish Yashan fruit belonging to one Tithe year from Chadash fruit of the next (which also helps us understand Leviticus 23:14 better). Furthermore, the Shammai-Hillel debate over whether the new year for plants begins either on the 1st or 15th of Shevat might have stemmed from being certain whether the solar Tekufat of Tevet has passed or not. Shammai ruled it should always be on the 1st of Shevat even if the solar Tekufat of Tevet had not passed. Hillel permitted it on the 15th.
NATIVITY
Any calendar converter will show that Shammai's new year for plants (the 1st of Shevat) in Gregorian 1 BC (when Jupiter stood still after its 9 month journey into Virgo) was the 25th of December corresponding to the the Kalenda celebration after the Tekufat of Tevet.
EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS
Evidently, early Messianic Noahites were inspired by some of this Mishna to decorate their Paradise trees during during the pivotal Tekufat Teveth before the 1st of Shevat to mark the time between Adam Kadmon's Feasts (Hanukkah and Kalenda) as the Saints' day for Adam and Eve which concluded with the Kalenda Proclamation of Midnight Mass starting an octave of celebrations of the 25th.
NAMES
By far the most common Yiddish term for Tekufat Tevet is Nittel (Nitl) which is not only the most frequent and widespread but also the only official scholarly Yiddish term for the event once used by Jews throughout Europe. Ignatz Bernstein explains the word is derived from the medieval Latin natalis meaning birth (related to the English word natal) as in the name of the holiday, Natalis Dies Domini, “the Lord’s birth”, which also gave the Italian and Indonesian terms for Christmas Eve being Natale and Natal respectively. The first explicit references to the precise term Nittel itself appear first in a 13th century work called the Hagahot Maimoniot where the author describes already widespread practices placing the term with Rashi. The second is a work called HaNitzachon which dates back to the generation of the Rosh (1250s – 1327) where it also states that "Nittel" refers to the Birth of Jesus.
Despite the obvious however, Nitl is more commonly associated in Judaic tradition with the story of the birth of the New Testament itself. But more about that later.
Unlike the term Nitl, most other Yiddish words for this pivotal night of the year reflect language distinctive to a particular region. With characteristic precision, the Litvak Perushim distinguished the evening as Vigilye until midnight which is followed after midnight by Kaleyd being the closest to the original Roman Terms Vigilia and Kalenda. Much less than Talmudic examples included: Rizlekh in Ukraine (cf. Ukrainian Rizdvo); Yolkes in Belorussia, (cf. Belorussian Yolka; Christmas tree); Rozhestvo in the Balkans (cf. Bulgarian Rozhdestvo Khristovo); Korachon in Hungary (Hungarian Karácsony) and Krichun in Transylvania (cf. (cf. Romanian Crăciun).
BELIMAH
Other Yiddish terms for the Tekufat of Tevet are more subversively playful inventions largely expressive of fears associated with this time. Goyimnakht (Nationalists’ night) is self explanatory, while Veynakht (literally, woe-night) -which was common among Jews in Alsace, Galicia, and western Poland- is a pun on Weihnachten the German term for Christmas Eve. Beyz geboyrenish (literally, Beyz birthing) plays on the Polish boże narodzenie. Kratzmakh (literally Scratch-Me) is a pun on Christmas among Erevrav grinches in America.
Indeed many among the Erev Rav have thought (and encouraged enemies of Judaism to think) that the core purpose of being Jewish has only ever been to hate a certain historical Jew. In fact, to listen to them, one would think that Judaism offers nothing else besides that! For in their ignorance they think that they make something into nothing without realizing that the "Belimah" they achieve for Jesus by their negativity is actually equivalent to identifying him as HaShem in Kabbalah. (See also Job 26:7 and Isaiah 49:7 and 53:3). In other words, its a lose-lose situation for them. Hence, according to Yehuda HaHassid, although we must change the name of a Jewish Tzadik who is worshipped as a Saint by Christians, at the same time we must “not consider debasing idolatry and urinating on it or excreting on it because that is what was done to Pe’or.” (Sefer Ḥasidim Ms. Parma H 3280, Cap.1348). Thus, Christmas is only mocked or belittled among either the most ignorant Jews or secret Messianic Jews.
OTHER TRADITIONS
Besides Adam's feasts, Hanukkah, Tithing and Belimah, there are also several other matters associated with the Tekufat of Tevet itself in Pharisee tradition concerning which all serious Talmidim are required to be familiar.
TEKUFAT TEVET TRAGEDY
For example, although the Hanukkah miracle clearly happened in a year when the Tekufat of Tevet was after the end of the 2nd of Tevet, the tragedies of the 9th (Murder of Rav Simon Clopas HaTzadik) and 10th of the Tevet (Breach of Jerusalem) in different years were also associated with that same time. The darkness of this darkest northern time of year also had an effect on Jephthah as the day he sacrificed his daughter (Abudarham, Sha'ar ha-Tekufot, p. 122a, Venice, 1566). The darkness of Tekufat Tevet was also manifest yet again in the sin of Yosl Pondrik (Joseph Pandira) on that night.
CELIBACY
Hence, another Yiddish term for the Tekufat of Tevet is Yoslsnacht/Yoyzlsnakht (Night of Joses) in reference to Yosl Pondrik's sin, ie the conception of Ben Setada (the Jewish Krampus). The latter's mother, Miriam Magdala, was supposed to have been raped by the Romanized reveller Yosl Pondrik on the Tekufat of Tevet implying Ben Setada's birth almost nine months later in 29 or 32 CE on Yom Kippur as promoted by many Notzrim.
Thus it came to be believed that Children conceived on Yoyzlsnakht can easily be spiritually corrupted and a tradition of celibacy on this night emerged. It was also therefore important to keep away from anything like alcohol which might lead to sexual relations on that night, since any child conceived during the Tekufat of Tevet was sure to be cursed and grow up to be a tool of the evil inclination.
PERSECUTIONS
Concern over the potency of winter's darkness had also passed from Jews into Christian tradition, both in direct contrast to the drunken debauchery of the Romans and other Pagans. From late antiquity, the Tekufat of Tevet was a time when such maleficent forces made even the Prayer houses of the Abrahamic Believers (Jew and Christian alike) into special targets for persecution by the Romans during Saturnalia. Hence the Talmudic prohibition against Eulogizing during Hanukkah and the Hassdic saying that dogs, a symbol of Rome (Esav), appear to those who study in the Beit Midrash on this night. Yoyzl's sin encapsulates a memory of the effects of Roman imperialism suffered not only among Jews but also by early Christians and which continued even after Rome's conversion. Christians who did not tow the imperial line continued to be persecuted together with Jews (now accused of deicide) for 12 centuries.
Although Luther and Calvin's attitudes were far from conciliatory to Jews, the reformation brought on an appreciation for Hebraic ideas as increasing numbers of Christians rose up against various heavy-handed Rome-like authorities. And although Poland's official stance was tolerance at that time, in Cossack areas things soon got so bad for Jews on Christmas Eve that a Russian Jewish saying emerged that if one sticks a knife into the earth on Christmas Eve, blood will pour out because of the violence associated with that night. Closing the Synagogues and staying at home on the Tekufat of Tevet amid rowdy anti-Semites was a reasonable response to such terror.
ABSTINENCE
One who fasts on Tekufat Tevet is considered to have fasted for all such tragedies. Hence we also find concerning the 9th Tevet which is tied to the murder of Rav Simon Clopas haTzadik that it had at least once been misunderstood not as due to Tekufat Tevet but as due to the fact that "Oto Eish" (often a reference to Ben Setada) was begotten on that night (according to Haggahot of Tosafot Yeshanim in name of Gadol Echad, brought in the תוספות of some editions of the Shulchan Aruch on chapter 580 [Machon Yerushalayim-Friedman edition] though removed from regular editions due to the error).
Until very recently Christians also opposed the Pagan Roman corruption of Adam's Monotheistic celebration into Saturnalian drunken debauchery by acknowledging Adam's first winter fast. The earliest Messianic Noahites used to observe the whole period up to the Shepherd's Candle of Joy as a fast which (as the sects of Christianity and Islam evolved from them) became respectively the Advent Nativity Fast and Ramadan before the invention of the Islamic calendar messed up the timing.
As mentioned, the End of Kislev was associated with Adam's precursor to Hanukah and Saturnalia. While a fast during Kislev was observed among the 1st Century Romaniote Jews like Jesus of Nazareth, (as discussed in a previous work), it didn't survive in Babylonian sects. This is because the Babylonian sect prohibited fasting during Hanukkah which from 1582 often overlapped the Tekufat of Tevet and soon eclipsed the memory of the earlier festive fast of Adam and Eve which was only preserved in the Jerusalem Minhag and mostly among Messianic Noahites. Instead, a new form of abstinence associated with Tekufat of Tevet emerged among Jews.
BITTUL TORAH
Yet another folk-etymology for Nittel speculates that the name actually stems from the Yiddish term NIT “nothing,” in reference to the practice of Bittul Torah (ceasing Torah study) on Christmas Eve. Jews usually study Torah almost every night which is believed to strengthen creation but the dark history of tragedies on the Tekufat of Tevet lead to the belief that even religious sparks generated by Torah study to nourish the universe may actually feed the elemental force of winter darkness at this time. In an effort to spiritually reduce the power of the winter, many Jews began to abstain from Torah study at Tekufat Tevet. The power of winter is so strong on Christmas Eve, that if you study Torah in the evening before Midnight, its power would be stolen by the ‘Other Side’. But without Torah learning, it is believed there is less power in the elemental forces of the universe. Hence Bittul Torah (usually an act of mourning) was a mystical calculus to weaken the Tekufat of Tevet. This also led to yet another spelling for [[ניטל because he was removed (“nital”) from the world]] suggesting the destruction of Evil and the triumph of the Evangelion.
Furthermore, Nittel, rhyming with Bittul, is often taught as an acronym for Nicht Torah Lernen in reference to the Hiatus on Torah study.
In Jewish circles, refraining from Torah study at the Madrasas on Nittel became popular as a way of avoiding unwanted attention and reducing the chances of inviting violence against them. In a metaphorical sense at least, Bittul Torah had been proven to limit the strength of those who sought to hurt Jewish lives. Besides, Nittel was a night where impurities reign supreme and therefore Torah study, the most sacred of activities, would not be appropriate.
Apostates (Jews who converted to Christianity) in the 16th century are not known to have mentioned the practice of Bittul Torah for Nittel in their anti-Jewish polemics, which in and of itself indicates that they did not know about it. The requisite conclusion is that even if the apostates were from extremely irreligious backgrounds the practice was not universally popular at that time. The earliest reference to Bittle Torah is from the second half of the 17th century in Kitzur Halakhot, a text by Rabbi Yair Chaim Bakhrakh, called Mekor Hayyim. There we have the first known reference to the practice in rabbinic writings being a single line in the index of Rabbi Yair Bacharach’s book where it says: “And the practice of canceling Torah study on Christmas.” Sadly, what he actually wrote about the practice has been lost.
To practice Bittul Torah, some would go to sleep in the early evening. But others stayed awake fearing that they might dream about Torah study. Such Rabbis would certainly have preferred visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.
Bittul Torah at Christmas was not generally practiced by Litvak Perushim but so as not to worry Jews who did, most Perushim did not sleep on Nittel until after lighting a candle at midnight for a little Torah study before bed: afterall it would reflect badly in Heaven for Jews to sleep soundly throughout the night while the Gentiles were up in their places of worship praying to God.
The Litvak Pharisee practice of lighting a candle at midnight for a Torah study session soon spread whereby even some whose tradition was to sleep would arise at midnight and light a candle for a little study.
In some communities the custom was to either study Torah in one's mind or (since, as the Sages teach us, one’s personal familiarity with Torah content does not in and of itself define one's religiosity, rather one's actions and emotions are the significant part of one's religious self) while we refrain from Torah learning one could invest in other religious practices — namely acts of loving kindness and charity.
OBSERVANCES
These days most Jews don’t celebrate Kalenda and Nittel Nacht has been observed less often among the Jews who survived the Holocaust. As Scharbach writes, “Modern practitioners have found the Nittel Nacht observances increasingly irksome and meaningless, though many continue to observe them for the sake of tradition.” As a result, Jews who are ignorant of the Pharisee testimony have suggested abandoning or limiting Nittel observances at least in the land of Israel.
For example, Rabbi Gavriel Zinner of Boro Park argues that Nittel Nacht customs were not established to be observed in the Land of Israel. Theodore Herzle would disagree as does Avoda Zara 2a:1. Inside the land of Israel, Avoda Zara precautions require attention for three days in order for the holiness of the Land of Israel to overcome the mystical concerns related to superstition and impurity surrounding Notzri festivities as the Meditations on the Rambam - Laws of Idolatry (uncensored) Meir HaKohen of 13th Century Germany clarifies
הגהות מיימוניות על הרמב"ם – הל' עבודה זרה (ט:ב) כשמואל דאמר (ע"ז ז: יא:) בגולה אין אסור אלא יום אידם בלבד ופרשב"ם בשם רש"י דהיינו דווקא ניתל וקצח שהם בשביל התלוי.
It says outside of the land of Israel we are only forbidden on the day itself and goes on that Rashbam commentates in the name of Rashi that this prohibition only refers to a Nittel and a Qetzakh (Quartodecimanism) that are only celebrated because of haTalui.
He is equally gravely mistaken in thinking that Christianity had never been a dominant force in the Holy land which was dominated by Byzantine Christianity from the 4th to the 7th century and again during the crusades as well as under the British occupation after the Battle of Armageddon!
Still in ultra-Orthodox communities at least one can become quite ostracised for suggesting we should belittle it.
As to whether Tekufat Tevet restrictions should be observed on Erev Shabbat or before/during Hanukah (since 1582 made this possible), the majority opinion is currently that they must always be observed on the local Christmas Eve regardless of whether it is an Erev Sabbath or falls before/during Hanukkah reflecting Jewish anxiety regarding the "Roman" majority, who could unleash murderous pogroms at a moment’s notice.
Since 1582, different Jewish communities have different times of when they “observed” with the dates being between December 24/5th, January 5/6th depending on where one comes from. Among the stricter Hareidim it was both.
Hasidic Jews see the Tekufat of Tevet as a powerful time, a night in which Magic reigns, the total acceptance and blind belief in the powers of the Tekufat of Tevet, a weird (and almost only) adoption of first the Julian and after 1582 also the Gregorian Calendars as having a real Magical significance. One can even be quite ostracized for suggesting that we aught to really disregard Ben Setada completely and best just ignore the many rules and regulations around the time. On the contrary, one must go out of the way to pay so much attention to the day he was begotten, even deny ourselves access to something that gives us our entire existence, meaning and purpose in life, the Torah.
Outside of Israel, the The Nittel Mitzvot have always been observed from sunset (or 6pm) to midnight on Nittel HaKatan, or from noon to midnight on the Nittel HaGadol. They must be concluded by midnight when begins Adam Kadmon's post-solstice celebration which became the Kalenda "Eid" which is typically portrayed by practitioners as a form of supernatural defense.
GARLIC
The custom to eat garlic on Nittle is ascribed to the apotropaic properties of the herb. As R. Isaac Weiss (1873–1942) explains, for instance, the “custom of the ancient ones [to] eat bread with garlic on the night of darkness” is a means of ensuring that “the impure forces [ha-hitzonim] do not attach themselves to you on that night.” For to stand (metaphorically) “naked and barefoot without the [protection of] Torah and mitzvot” on “the night of darkness” is akin to entering a graveyard unprotected against the “impure forces” that reign there. One thus requires additional “protection and guarding” against evil spirits on that night, such as the protection provided by “the scent of garlic, [which] chases the evil forces away.” In other words if you don't have the protection of Torah you have that of the next best thing -Garlic!
Solomon Tzvi Hirsch of Aufhausen confirms that Jews ate garlic on Christmas Eve, and goes to some lengths to explain and defend the practice. In Der ju¨dische Theriak (1615), Hirsch acknowledges that “the Jews eat garlic on the holiday of the Christians” but makes an effort to prove that the injunction to eat garlic predates the rise of Christianity – citing several prooftexts from the Hebrew Bible. While not denying that Jews chose to eat garlic specifically on Christmas Eve, he maintains that practical considerations alone led Jews to take advantage of that day “when [Christians] wont trade with Jews,” so that they might imitate “the eternal practice of our forefathers” without fear of losing business to the garlic's “wafting odor” which, at least among Jews, also helps ensure celibacy on the darkest night. For Jews, Garlic keeps the spirit of Yosl Pondrik away in much the same way as it might deter vampires on Halloween for Christians.
JUDEO-CHRISTIAN CULTURE
Perhaps as a result of Jewish conversions to Christianity or increased Christian interest in Hebraism, after the Reformation, the darkest night before the Kalenda proclamation was already popularly thought of as a time of heightened supernaturalism. It was a time when the damned walked the earth as ghosts, witches, and even werewolves. To discourage such uncanny "troops of the damned" it was best for Christian faithful to eat a lot of garlic and avoid sacred activities while creating spaces that belong unambiguously to the living—spaces filled to bursting with waking bodies, light, noise and celebrations with family and friends—singing, dancing, playing games—all to avoid a visitation from the dead, staying up until the Kalenda Candle is lit for midnight devotions. In the United Kingdom at least, Jew and Christian alike clearly shared the same anxieties which Charles Dickens played on very effectively in his Christmas Carol. To be alone like Scrooge was to invite a haunting while rowdiness and lights were expected to repel evil.
Dickens also includes reference to waking for the Midnight Candle (which he portrayed as a Spirit) as well as the haunting before midnight from among the legions of the impure forces. The difference from the army of hitzonim that Christians believed walked the earth (symbolized by Dickens with Marley), was that for the Jews it was of born Jews who had turned to sorcery, most notably the archetypal Jewish Krampus, Ben Setada and the spirit that had possessed his rapist father Yosl Pondrik (Joses Pandera) which flies around until midnight on Christmas Eve.
KRAMPUS
Although, as mentioned already, the term Nittel clearly exists in halachic sources for several centuries some of the customs associated with it are not spelled out until much later. For example, while we find references to Nittel in rabbinic literature throughout the Middle Ages, the first mentions of the tradition of Bitul Torah on Nittel-Nacht only 32 years after the calendar reform ,comes in the early 17th century from an apostate called Samuel Freidrich Brentz in 1614 who said that our Jewish Krampus spends the night crawling through sewage, and that if he hears the Torah being studied in a house, he may gain temporary release from his punishment. That is how Onkelos met him. Indeed, there are several variations on this Jewish folk belief that our Jewish Krampus returns to earth on Christmas Eve. Some descriptions draw attention to the corporeal nature of the visiting Ben Setada in the most marked and grotesque terms.
In parralel to how Krampus in Christian tradition comes to check whether children can say their prayers correctly, a visitation from the Jewish Krampus is also connected to our religious activity. But Perushim do not fear such a visitation as Hasidim do.
If one is incautious enough to study on that night, whenever our Krampus (Ben Setada) comes across an open holy book he will stick to the holy book and thereby defile it. Often, far from being a metaphorical representation or mystical abstraction, the Jewish Krampus described in these sources exhibits distinctly human emotions and motivations. Ubiquitously conflated with Jesus of Nazareth, one informant explains that Ben Setada will appear and “demand to be paid tuition” if “we study on Christmas,” because "he also taught it" and “was once a great scholar” and will wish to be honored for that. Such accounts also emphasize the physicality of Judaism's Christmas visitor – describing burlesque battles between him and his victims.
These more unguarded sources thus confirm that it was not merely some abstract representation of Ben Setada which proponents of these customs feared, but a distinctly embodied actor who returned from the dead.
Hence the tradition of consuming a lot of garlic (which wards off demons in Jewish writings) before going to the toilet. "See that the hanged one does not pull you in!"
TELIYA
Thus, most commonly on this night instead of Torah, Jews would read (as mentioned) Ma‘aseh Toleh (Asham Talui) referred to by Rashi as the Teliya Ye.Sh.U to repel him since it is the story of why and when the New Testament was compiled. Hence yet another term for the Tekufat of Tevet is Tolenakht (Teli Night) being a reference to the North Star, the hook on which the Zodiac hangs which is at its highest point in the sky on this night and regarded as the source of Ben Setada's only skills (magnetism). Hence, despite the academic derivation of ניתל from Latin, yet another erroneous folk etymology links it to “HaTalui” (“The Hanged One”) as a reference to the Yiddish Krampus, because he was hanged (“nitleh”) which they argue either evolved or was deliberately blurred into the term “Nittel”.
It is an important aspect of the Oral Torah that one day Tolenacht will be converted to serve the purpose of HaShem towards salvation despite every attempt to hold it for damnation.
OTHER CUSTOMS
As mentioned, besides decorating trees, celibacy, Bittul Torah, practicing loving kindness and charity, reading the Teliya and eating garlicy food, keeping vigil til midnight devotions, these days there are many Eastern Yiddish folkways observed as ritual protection against the dangerous supernatural forces that hold sway on the last day of Saturnalia. For example, protective covers were placed over holy books or vessels containing liquids and food, to protect them from tome (ritual impurity) associated with the Tekufat of Tevet. Other traditional practices among Jews at this time include playing dreidel, trumps or chess, making toilet paper, reading secular texts, accounting, sew and sing songs to scare off evil until the midnight candle lighting when Torah study can resume.
The Batei Midrash were closed early and children stayed home from heider while men refrained from studying holy texts. People stayed indoors, sometimes shuttering their windows against the worst of the winter. Children played cards, otherwise only permitted during Hanukkah, when games of chance are allowed. Cards are at this time a game of choice. Chess also joins the game of cards as a popular past time among those who participate in the traditions. In fact, even some of the more austere rabbis in Hasidic groups have been known to pass the hours until the midnight candle lighting immersed in quiet chess stratagems. Playing chess on Nittel is a whole custom in true Hasidic fashion with deep meanings.
For those living at a rabbinical seminary, the two Nittels are the only two days in the year that Talmidim are allowed to play board games in the main study hall, and listen to all tapes and CDs on Nittel. The Rebbe himself might play chess publicly on Nittel.
For pre-teens these days, it is the only night that allows free, non-guilt-driven, access to watch home videos of family weddings, speeches and events, recorded gatherings of Hasidic Rebbes, and at times, National Geographic films. Nittel was the only night of the year, that not only aren't Jews driven to feel guilty if we ‘waste’ our time doing anything else besides studying holy scriptures, but are actually forbidden from doing so. As a result it is the only time of the year, that even the ultra-religious play games ‘guilt-free’ at least to some extent.
For Jewish children, “Nittel” is a special, fun day mainly for having family time perhaps going to the movies to see the Christmas blockbuster and eating garlicy Chinese food.
All that and as already mentioned Jews like Christians not only decorate trees, abstain from marital relations, practice loving kindness and charity, keep vigil til midnight devotions, eat lots of garlic, shun a Krampus figure around the solstice and played games at least until lighting a candle for a midnight study before going to bed. A tradition reminiscent of the Christingle.
The parallels are striking.
As already mentioned, the darkest night Vigil ends at midnight and the hiatus on studying Torah ends with the beginning of the 8 day Kaleyd (Yiddish for Kalenda i.e. Christmas) celebration established by Adam to celebrate the lengthening of days. The protective covers were removed and a Mitzva was observed to begin each new season like Kalenda with a fresh supply of sweet water, as brought down by the 10th century Hai Gaon.
There is also some Halakhah about when to give presents during Kaleyd as recorded by Israel Isserlein (1390-1460) in Austria mentioned in the Terumas HaDeshen [Siman 195. :
שו"ת תרומות הדשן (סי' קצה')
Responsa of the Terumat haDeshen 195
שאלה: בכמה עיירות נוהגים היהודים לשלוח דורונות לכומרים ולשלטונים ביום שמיני לניתל כשמתחדשין להם השנה, יש
חשש זהירות בדבר או לאו?
Question: In many cities it is the custom for Jews to send gifts to priests and nobles on the Eighth Day after Nittel when they make their New Year. Should we be concerned about the danger of this or not?
תשובה: יראה דיש ליזהר בזה שלא ישלחו ממש באותו יום אלא יום קודם או אחריו...
Answer: It appears that we should be careful regarding this practice not to send it on the actual day of the festival (lest they think we are celebrating) but rather on a day before or after.
If that is not ‘celebrating’ Christmas, what is?
Hence, despite the recent attempts from some quarters to suggest the opposite, Nittel is clearly not such a radical departure” from the Christian tradition at all. But this isn’t to suggest that it is somehow less Jewish.
Very many have written about this aspect of Judaism as if it were nothing but Eastern Yiddish folklore about Christmas time evidencing the awe inspired by Jesus but such approaches have actually done more harm to Judaism than good. Thus while secular academics like Rebecca Scharbach argue this is because Nittel Nacht is actually a “Jewish adaptation of the [Christian] traditions, the believer in Judaism is forced to an alternative explanation.
For us, the similarities are due to the survival of a folk memory among Messianic Noahites concerning the fallout from the sins of Yosl Pondrik (Joses Pandira) with whom begins the Teliya recounted by Jews at least for over 18 centuries on the last night of Saturnalia before the midnight candle brings Kalenda.
This history is a tale of two unequal communities buffeted between social conditions that drew them together despite the distinctive communal needs that pushed them apart. The customary system fulfilled a widespread and urgent need within the early modern Jewish communities of central and eastern Europe. It was dangerously dark deathly cold, food was scarce and wild animals were hungry. It was best to have get togethers at home.