NPR Student Podcast Challenge: Why many Jewish families order Chinese on Christmas

NPR | By Student Podcast Challenge

Published December 22, 2025 at 4:59 PM EST

It's a tradition for many Jewish families: Chinese takeout on Christmas. How did this happen? A group of New York City high schoolers shared their reporting with NPR's Student Podcast Challenge.

This is an excerpt from "Why do Jewish Americans Eat Chinese Food on Christmas?" by Allen Chan, Jason Chen, Blake Feinstein and Max Wang, students at Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School in Scarsdale, N.Y.. Their story was a standout entry in the 2025 NPR Student Podcast Challenge.

Student Podcast Challenge

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