Channukah Night 2.

Ok so I was a little jealous about Sean's post on X-mas. Oh yeah I am not supposed to mention him on my blog just comment about him.. lol.. oh well.. I guess the ban is lifted.

Well Chanukah is anti climatic when it falls on x-mas. I don't know how much you know about the Jewish religon but it is concidered a minor holiday... Here is a quick history lesson.. god the teacher in me is soooooooooo annyoing sometimes.

Chanukah, the Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the festival of lights, is an eight day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. This year it was on Christmas.
Chanukah is probably one of the best known Jewish holidays, not because of any great religious significance, but because of its proximity to Christmas. Many non-Jews (and even many assimilated Jews!) think of this holiday as the Jewish Christmas, adopting many of the Christmas customs, such as elaborate gift-giving and decoration.

The story of Chanukah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of their culture, adopting the language, the customs, the dress, etc., in much the same way that Jews in America today blend into the secular American society.
More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing one of his priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees (no direct connection to the modern movement known as Chasidism). They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Selucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.

According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah(candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle. Note that the holiday commemorates the miracle of the oil, not the military victory: Jews do not glorify war.Chanukah is not a very important religious holiday.

OK now that your all asleep I won't go into just how and why and what blessings are used.. I think anyone who was reading is now sleeping.

In my house I have the presents laid under my winter solstice tree next to my menorah. After we light candles and butcher the prayers if I even attempt them.. we eat something fried.. or at least my kids do.. I love latkes which are potato pancakes and very very yummy if you have never tried them.. especially with sour cream.. yum.. very low cal NOT.

I torture my son by letting him see all his presents and choosing just one.. no matter how many times he begs me to let him dive in.. so every sundown he is after me to light the candles and get to his present.. he does not know much about Chanukah yet but he is remember some.. then we try to play dreidels and eat gelt which are chocolate coins. Since he got the fantastic 4 we watched it together..

Not the emotional tug at your heart story of x-mas.. Chanukah is like an after thought for non jews.. there was an article in the paper about Christmasica.. the blend of Christmas and Chanukah for those who are slow on the uptake.. My in-laws celebrate this, to which I roll my eyes.. My family calls it Chan-is-mah.. I almost fell off the couch when I saw Radio Shack actually have a kid asking his dad for a robot kit for Chanukah.. we have come a long way. Maybe next year the Chanukah decorations will be two shelves in the back of all the x-mas stuff in Target!

So to sum it up it is all about food, family, and surprises.. as I look at my blue and white lights, my menorah, and the foil dreidels hanging from my ceiling draping the entrance of my apt.. the smells of fried potatoes, and chicken soup wafting from the kitchen.. as not a creature was stiring, not even a mouse..

Happy 2nd night everyone.. 2 down.. 6 to go.. go light a candle, play some Adam Sandler.. and eat a chocolate coin.