What to do with Christmas Decorations

What do I need to do if I find Christmas things in my attic?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

One who finds non-Jewish religious items is generally required to destroy them if they were likely to have been used in non-Jewish worship due to the concern of benefitting from idolatrous worship and accessories. However, I will add that there is a dispute whether Christianity is defined as monotheistic or idolatrous, which adds for leniency in your situation.

In the event, however, that they are still in their box or otherwise appear new, there would be no true need to dispose of the items. This is based on the halachic principle of “hazmana lav milta,” meaning “designation is meaningless.” Merely designating something does not confer any status upon it. It is only once an item is used that it actually gains any status. But once they are used they must be treated with sanctity. Therefore, when dismantling one’s Sukka, one must not to step on the Sukka walls or any other part of the Sukka, as all such items assume a level of holiness since they were used in the performance of a mitzva.

Based on the above, if one were to designate an Etrog to be used on Sukkot or a myrtle branch to be used in the Lulav bundle, the Etrog and myrtle branch would not acquire any sanctity or mitzva status until they are first used. One would even be allowed to eat the Etrog if it has not yet been used for the mitzva. One may retract and re-designate mitzva items that were not yet used.

The above applies to non-Jewish artifacts as well. For example, the Talmud rules that an animal that was designated for idolatrous service may later be used as a sacrifice in the Beit Hamikdash if it was not actually used for idolatry!

There are many more examples as well. As such, if you found non-Jewish holiday decorations that were never used for worship, you would be permitted to use them for an “arts and crafts” project or to sell them on. As mentioned, this is especially true for Christian items that are new or only used for decoration.

Sanhedrin 47b;  Temura 29a; Rambam, Hilchot Isurei Mizbei’ach 4:4;  YD 141:1, 349:1.