SC - Holiday dreams OT OOP

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

And it came to pass on 1 Dec 99,, that Terri Millette wrote:

> Happy Chanukah to all those it applies to. 

Thank you.  I really gotta polish the Chanukah menorah tomorrow.  And 
buy some candles (although I *may* have enough partial boxes in the 
candle drawer [doesn't everyone have a candle drawer?] to see me 
through the holiday).

> So do you fokes get 8 
> really cool presents, or does it tend to be 7 little things and one 
> big thing? ( not that the little things cant be cool to, but you 
> know......)  

When I was a kid, it was 8 presents of varying sizes.  Usually they were 
medium kinda things -- books (lots of books), a board game, a 
watercolor set.... sometimes there was something big, like a new 
bicycle.  Each night I got to chose which package to open.  As I grew 
older, the 8 presents became one smallish gift, or some money 
(chanukah gelt).  In my family, Chanukah is seen as primarily for 
children, though the adults enjoy it, too.  (For those who don't know, I 
should comment that Chanukah has become a thorny issue for many 
American Jews.  Although it is traditionally a minor holiday, it has grown 
to have a larger role, mostly because of the influence of Christmas.)

A few years back, I was reminiscing to my (non-Jewish) husband about 
the fun I had, trying to choose a present each night.  On the first night of 
Chanukah, he surprised me with a pile of eight presents.  He's been 
doing it ever since, and his mother (a lovely lady!) got in on the act, too.  
They tend to be mostly little things, like a pretty barrette or a kitchen 
doodad, since we also exchange Christmas gifts with his family.  
Nowadays, my Chanukah routine is pretty set:
1. light candles
2. put on a CD of appropriate music
3. choose and open gift
4. listen to music while candles burn.

> So what sorts of traditional things get done for  
> Chanukah in the meal department?

Fried foods are traditional, because of the miracle of the oil.  In my 
family, that means latkes (potato pancakes).  The family usually 
gathers at my aunt and uncle's house.  They're sort of the nexus for the 
NJ branch, since my grandmother has a small apartment, and several 
relatives are allergic to my cats.  Dinner is usually something that goes 
well with latkes.  It's often pot roast, and I belong to the school of 
thought that says that latkes should be topped with gravy.  Others 
prefer applesauce.  Another modern tradition is those little gold-foil-
covered chocolate coins, which symbolize Chanukah gelt.  I don't eat 
them anymore, since I have to watch what I eat.  I prefer to expend 
calories on latkes.  Besides, I've become fussy about my chocolate, 
and the coins are often very cheap chocolate.

> Fiona 


Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net
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