Happy Chanukah

 

Happy Chanukah!

Even though all the lights are lit in the photograph, tonight was actually the fourth night of Chanukah. It's slightly confusing, but Jewish holidays begin at sundown and Chanukah this year began on Sunday night. 

The holiday, actually a relatively minor one on the Jewish calendar, commemorates the rededication of  the Temple in Jerusalem after Seleucid occupation. The story goes that there was only enough sacred oil to last for one night, but miraculously, the oil burned for eight nights. This miracle has been remembered and celebrated since that time, for 2200 hundred years.

   I'm borrowing from last year's blog post on Chanukah:

I find it extraordinary that 2200 years have gone by since those miraculous eight days and around the world the commemoration is taking place. Candles are lit, blessings are said and sufganiyot (traditional jelly doughnuts) are eaten. Children still spin the dreidel, a four sided top. The letters on the top symbolize the phrase, "A great miracle happened there."

But most of all we commemorate the victory of light over darkness and the ability to have hope and believe in miracles, no matter how improbable they may seem. I'm going to hold on to the Chanukah message throughout what may be a dark and cold winter and remember that great miracles are always possible. 

One of my hopes in 2020 was to celebrate Chanukah in-person in 2021 and my plans are set for an in-person celebration with friends who are family on Saturday, the seventh night of Chanukah. The guest list numbers an even dozen, and though I spent Thanksgiving with eight people who will be part of the Saturday celebration, I haven't seen the other four since Chanukah 2019. The little one who was two is now four. How sweet it will be to see all of them in-person.    

As an aside -- because I know the question will arise -- I don't know why there is a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge in the store window above. I will be stopping in to ask them and will report back.  

Happy Chanukah and happy December! Here's to days of hope, miracles, light and every sweet tradition your heart embraces.

As ever, thanks for visiting and happy and healthy!