These findings are significant because they dispel the common perception that interfaith families find the December holidays to be especially difficult. Typically interfaith families are thought to be beset with questions about identity as well as conflicting emotions resulting from the challenges of negotiating religious observance, holiday symbols and celebrations, family dynamics and pressures to celebrate either or both Christmas and Hanukkah. Conversely, the survey found that a majority of the respondents look forward to the December holidays eagerly; in contrast, only 16 percent said the did not look forward to the holidays very much

"The survey indicates that people in interfaith couples tend to be very tolerant and respectful of each partner’s religious traditions and observances, especially as it relates to their extended family and friends. There still can be tensions and misunderstandings between family members who practice one religion and extended family who practice another, but the number who indicated those feelings were in the minority," said Edmund Case, publisher, InterfaithFamily.com. "During the election, Americans showed the importance they place on religious issues and morals, but at the same time, appreciation and respect for other people’s faith and values are critical during these polarizing times. Interfaith families could serve as role models for living in a multicultural country."

The December Dilemma Survey, which fielded responses from 199 people nationwide in October, was designed to understand how interfaith families celebrate their own and their partners’ holidays and to gain insight into those celebrations. Interestingly, despite the holidays’ close proximity in 2003 (with the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah starting December 20, 2003), more than two-thirds of respondents said they kept their celebrations separate as opposed to blending them.

Holiday Observances
Of the respondents who said they had children, 80 percent said their children were raised as Jews. Of the 81 percent of interfaith families who responded that they celebrate both holidays, 82 percent said they enjoy Hanukkah very much and 53 percent said they enjoy Christmas very much. Meanwhile, of the non-Jewish relatives responding to the survey who attended a Hanukkah celebration last year, 85 percent felt more comfortable than comfortable.

The most common ways of celebrating Hanukkah in the families’ own homes included: lighting a menorah (99 percent), gift giving (90 percent), eating Hanukkah foods (78 percent) and telling the Hanukkah story (55 percent). The most common ways of celebrating Christmas in their own homes included: gift giving (67 percent), tree decorating (53 percent), hanging stockings (37 percent) and other Christmas decorations (40 percent), singing Christmas songs (41) and eating Christmas foods (33 percent).