03 Jan 2007 12:42 PM

Chanukah 2006

Unlike in Israel, Chaunkah gets very lost here in America. Starting right after Thanksgiving the country goes into christmas mode. Anyone who says America is NOT a Christian country should spend December here. The stores, the tv shows, the advertisements, the radio - all geared up for christmas.

People decorate their houses with lights and giant blow ups and while some of the displays are pretty some are just too tacky for words. Store clerks regularly wish you either a merry x-mas or if they're being politically correct, happy holidays. I did get one happy chanukah - I bought Jewish lollipop molds so i could make chocolate lollipops for Chanukah. Annoyingly, all the dreidels have a shin. They have 3 other letters to choose from that would work equally well here AND in Israel and they davka pick shin. UGH!

So you really need to take an aggressive stand in order to feel Chanukah and I felt myself getting a little militant. I decorated the windows of our apartment with svivonim and chanukiyot from construction paper (yes, you know me so well, they're not down yet) - the windows facing our parking lot as well as the street. Our shul had a chanukah party for kids and grownups on motzei Shabbat and it was very nice. They brought a performer who was well received by all ages and of course there was food.

One night Maor's school had a Chanukah program and Maor played a very cute Greek in the play (she was not happy about me taking her picture). And on Thursday night we went over to friends for an oil feast - levivot and sufganiot and of course presents. Maor had school for most of Chanukah and started vacation on Thursday of Chanukah.

More about winter vacation in my next entry.

Chasida (Fern)

Memorable quote from "A Rugrats Chanukah": (Angelica explains what the candles on the Menorah are for, other than birthdays:)

Angelica: Those aren't for Tommy's birthday; those are for Chanukah.

Tommy: Harmonica?

Angelica: Chhhanukkah. You have to "chhhh" when you say it.

(Please note that the "chhh" sound she's making is similar to trying to spit up the gunk out of your throat.)

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