The Super Bowl and the frum community

There's a longstanding myth in the frum community that one group holds its annual event during the Super Bowl. For the past several years, I've looked in the frum bulletins, searching for advertisements for this mysterious event, held by a group that would have the chutzpah to compete with the Super Bowl. I never found it. I once mentioned my frustration with my fruitless search to a wise friend. "Oh, someone tried that once, and it was a disaster," she told me. "All the men were hanging out at the hotel bar, watching the game." I keep looking, and she's right--there are no frum events, meetings, fundraisers or dinners scheduled during the Super Bowl. Bears or no Bears.

An invitation to an upsherinish (hair-cutting ceremony for a three-year-old boy who has never had a haircut) arrived in my mailbox. I was all excited. I've attended a few upsherinishim but never actually been formally invited before. I was all excited because I truly like and admire the little boy's parents. Imagine my surprise when I saw the date and time: Feb. 1, 5pm CST. T-26 minutes to kickoff.

Damn.

If I didn't already have plans to watch the game, I could briefly say mazel tov and leave. That would be a bit rude. I do have plans, and I'm afraid I'll need to send my regrets. I feel bad. Did the parents check a calendar? Maybe they don't own a tv. That's fine. I know plenty of families like that. But even these families understand the Super Bowl is the biggest tv event of the year and that some no-tv families do visit friends to watch the game. In this couple's case, I suspect most of their invitees outside their immediate friend/family circle do own tv's and do plan to watch the game, if for no other reason than the party excuse.

I'll miss the food. I hope I can catch their second son's upsherinish, which should be in a year or so.