Last night we celebrated the sixth night of Hanukkah, the festival of lights. We lit the candles, said the blessings, had dinner and offered small gifts to the children, much like the previous five nights. It is a subdued holiday in our home. Since Hanukkah falls at a different time each winter, following the Jewish calendar, we typically can’t celebrate with family who all live at a distance.
Although I’ve been observing Hanukkah with my husband for more than a decade, it is still a bit of a new tradition for me. I was raised in a fairly devout Irish Catholic home, but fell in love with and married a Jewish man (surprisingly, there really are many similarities in the upbringings). Since his religion is deeply intertwined with his ethnicity, and my devotion to Catholicism was weak at best, we agreed that our children would be raised in the Jewish traditions in our home. Hanukkah is one of the holidays we celebrate with enthusiasm and really get the kids involved (it can be difficult to explain Yom Kippur and Passover to toddlers).
Recently a friend asked me if I missed all the hoopla surrounding Christmas. And I honestly was able to say no. We love twinkly lights, so we put them up in our house, just not on a tree. There is no requirement to deck the halls or strew the house with boughs of holly. It takes a lot of pressure off. I love that Hanukkah is fairly low key. Yes, the children get eight gifts — but it isn’t like they get a Wii-caliber gift each night. The focus is on family, seeing each child be pleased with a small, thoughtful present. And since we often celebrate as a nuclear family, it is like our own private holiday.
I think perhaps the blessings say it best:
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the lights of Chanukkah.
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.
The last is my favorite; it is recited only on the first night of Hanukkah. May you all be blessed in entering this holiday season.
Amy Bader
Amy is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. A photography course in high school sent her to college with a journalism degree in mind, but some surprises along the way led to a career in veterinary medicine. Motherhood has brought things full circle, and now she is concentrating on her photography, finding her creative self and expressing the joys in life which she shares on her blog, Life in Eden.
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