Why We Loved Hanukkah

We've been exploring world religions as a family.  It's been fun, enlightening, and mind expanding for all of us.  We're following this book and we've just finished pre-historic religions.  (Side note: If you want to discuss world religions with your kids, the book is great and I totally recommend it.)  Our discussions centering on the book have led to some fascinating places that we never have explored in the past.  And it led to Miciah declaring, out of the blue, that she'd like to celebrate Hanukkah.

Well, why not?

So we did and it was AWESOME.  Here's what we did.

First, I went to an actual Jewish synagogue (or maybe they prefer the term temple?) to purchase a menorah.  When I looked online for "Hanukkah supplies," I kept being directed to party stores.  No, I don't want blue party plates.  I want an actual, non-lame menorah!  So gift shop inside the synagogue it was.

The old ladies who worked there were super sweet.  I walked in, told them I wasn't Jewish, but that our family had decided to celebrate Hanukkah, and they helped me find a nice, but less expensive menorah, candles, dreidels, and rules for the dreidel game.  And then they invited me to come to Saturday services and meet their very warm and welcoming rabbi, and maybe I should think about being Jewish.  I thanked them politely and very honestly told them that I was currently religiously homeless.  It was a really nice experience.

This isn't the menorah we used, but isn't it gorgeous?!

Next, we invited a Jewish friend over to explain Hanukkah to us a little bit and to talk about how her family celebrated Hanukkah.  You know, put a personal touch on it.  She explained that you light the candles just after sunset, say a very short prayer (in Yiddish or English, whatever you prefer), and eat latkes and play dreidels if you want.  And that's it.  

That's it?  So simple!

5 Things to Love about Hanukkah:

1 - Lighting candles is so calming.  We'd take turns lighting the candles (with the servant candle - I love that there's a servant candle!  And that it's the tallest one!) and then we'd all just sit and look at the candles for a while.  The stillness.  So much calm love.

2 - Christian tradition is an offshoot of Jewish tradition.  I've always wondered why we, as Christians, didn't celebrate Jewish holidays.  I mean, the Old Testament is claimed by us, too.  Shouldn't we be all about Passover?!  I realize, now, that Christians were looking for a way to differentiate themselves from the Jews, etc., etc., but still.  

3 - Saying prayers in unison as a family is a beautiful experience.  Normally when we pray, we take turns.  But saying the three set prayers together was ... I don't know how to describe it.  It was just beautiful.  It's changed how we all look at prayers (like, can prayers be rote or not?), and how we say them.

4 - Setting aside time for 8 nights during busy December to slow it down.  For serious.  Who doesn't need more of this?!  And since so little time is required, and so little is expected, the celebration didn't add to our stress levels.  In fact, it helped decrease stress.  Brilliant.

5 - Learning about different cultures / traditions is fun!  The old ladies at the gift shop were kinda surprised when I told them that I'd been to a Passover meal, that I'd eaten unleavened bread for almost a year when I was a teenager, and that I love matzo balls and soup.  I guess that curiosity mixed with respect is the tradition that was passed on to me by my mother and it's one that I hope gets passed on to my children.

So, yay for Hanukkah!  We're already looking forward to next year's celebration.