BellyitchBlog

Are you surprised that more and more Jewish families are adopting and putting up Hannukah bushes and trees, and even Menorah trees in their homes?

With Christmas being such a major celebrated holiday and season in the United States, many parents of Jewish children have found a way to meld the festivities with their own religious beliefs and culture.

More and more families are hanging Hannukah stockings, and integrating the traditional festival of lights with the customs of Christmas.

Miami Herald

A Pew Research survey released last year found that 32% of Jews said they had a Christmas tree in their home the previous year.

It’s common especially in interfaith families among Jews married to non-Jews. The survey found that 71% said they put up a tree.

My mother is Roman Catholic and my father Muslim and he looked forward to decorating the tree and exchanging presents more than us kids even. Over the years, it could easily be argued that the Christmas season has become secular to a certain extent.

That’s exactly what those who are critical say. The reason it’s easy for non-Christians to adopt Christmas traditions is because the holiday has become an excuse to get caught up with the consumerism that has taken over Christmas. It has become less about the birth of Jesus Christ and more about an excuse to go crazy in the mall.

Your thoughts? If you are Jewish, have you or would you consider putting up a Hannukah tree?

Access to education and more career opportunities is the reason behind the shift in the age women conceive their first child.

According to Pew Research, in 1990, 13 percent of all births were by teen moms while women women 35 and older gave birth at a rate of only 9 percent.

In 2008, that number flipped where teen birth rate was 10 percent to 14 percent for women over 35.

Stats suggest education can account for the shift. Now, 71 percent of mothers ages 35 and older had some college education, compared to 41 percent in 1990 (for all mothers). The U.S. Department of Education, data show that less than 20 percent of women went to college in 1967, but in 2012, that number has more than doubled (44.5%).

Currently, women receive 60 percent of the bachelor’s degrees. With more education comes access to more work opportunities and the delay in starting a family.

“Advanced maternal age is becoming more common as women are living different lifestyles than before,” said Dr. Vivian Romero of the Spectrum Health Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic.

Dr. Romero adds that in her office, she sees many patients that have delayed childbearing due to the demands of their education and opportunities to have a career.

She offers these tips for women who decided to have children later in life.

Before trying to conceive:

Start or continue to exercise regularly.

Eat healthy foods and get the nutrients you need.

Start taking prenatal vitamins.

If you have a pre-existing condition, such as diabetes or hypertension, optimize your health.

Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.

While trying to conceive:

Your menstrual calendar is not same as those under age 35.

Don’t wait too long to call your doctor.

If you have been trying for more than six months, you may need a reproductive specialist.

“Age is nothing to be concerned about, but the more information and knowledge that you have, the more prepared you will be for a healthy pregnancy,” Dr. Romero said.

The availability of more fertility treatment and options also is encouraging women to delay starting a family. Technology is helping women extend that proverbial biological clock.

Pew Research

Jewish families integrate Christmas with Hannukah trees

Tips for conceiving after age 35