SC - Holiday dreams OT OOP
Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net
Wed Dec 1 06:48:01 PST 1999
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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