2 years ago
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“Do you cognize what vacation we’re celebrating?” I asked my mother.
“Does it matter?” she replied.
“Are you having fun, Mom?”
“Oh yes,” she responded with a lukewarm smile.
“Then it doesn’t matter.”
Mom, gone 3 years now, was successful her precocious nineties erstwhile we had that conversation.
Hanukkah and Christmas were crossing paths that twelvemonth and my Jewish parent was observing the holidays successful the Christian status location wherever she lived. In a sitting room, festooned with garlands of holly and a tiny artificial lighted histrion arsenic the array centerpiece, we were celebrating Hanukkah pursuing the home’s Christmas dinner.
I had brought the menorah that Mom utilized for years successful her ain home, and bluish and achromatic candles, 1 for each of the 8 nights positive the shammas, the helper candle that sits elevated connected the nine-pronged candelabra, and is lit archetypal and utilized to airy the different candles.
Tradition holds that connected each of the nights, 1 much candle is lit than the erstwhile nighttime until the last nighttime erstwhile each 8 candles are ignited. I don’t retrieve which nighttime of Hanukkah it was that Mom and I were observing but we decided to airy each the candles, thing George and I continued with our grandchildren.
Because we were lone capable to get unneurotic erstwhile during the eight-night holiday, we started lighting each the candles, nary substance what nighttime it was. And each of america had our ain menorah making a magical show erstwhile they were each burning, lasting connected the model spot that faces the beforehand lawn.
When grandchildren Jake and Ally were young they had a contention astir whose candles would pain the longest. They would cheer connected the disappearing flames similar 1 would basal for a favored sports team. Sometimes determination were heated discussions astir who really won.
“My candle did truthful past longer!”
And similar my mother, determination were years erstwhile our non-Jewish grandkids were celebrating Hanukkah with america during the Christmas season. Games of dreidel were played successful beforehand of the fireplace wherever stockings were hanging.
This year, with Hanukkah opening connected Nov. 28, the Sunday pursuing Thanksgiving, we person a small vacation crisscrossing going connected again. Even with pumpkins inactive connected the hearth, I’m not disquieted that my household won’t cognize which vacation it is. But I bash person 1 question for the grands, present 18 and 15.
You’re not excessively aged for the candle competition, are you?
Email PatriciaBunin@sbcglobal.net and travel her connected Twitter @PatriciaBunin
English (US) ·