Chanukah vent - stupid grocery store

[delilah]

That's interesting. Since I'm not Christian and never attended Sunday school, I wasn't aware of that. I'm curious, though, why Chanukah would be addressed in a Christian school setting as it doesn't appear until long after the Old Testament time period, unlike Passover which takes place in Exodus.

When I was growing up and attending Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Chicago, much of the religion curriculum in 6th and 7th grade was devoted to the study of Judaism as the foundation of Christianity. This was a class we had every day during the school year. So, yes, we did learn a good deal about Jewish holidays. I don't know how much this is still the case, as my son is only in second grade, and learning the basics of Catholic catechism in his religion classes now.

I was surprised, also, that there is a difference between Shabbat candles and Chanukah candles. This is not surprising, as I have mainly lived in areas with a very limited Jewish population, even when I lived in the Chicago area. Is this because of a different blessing for the candles, or the material they are made of, or what? I had a similar difficulty in finding appropriate candles for my Advent wreath, which I am sure is no where near at complicated. I can just get any three purple and one pink candles, or three blue and one ivory, but, Target and Meijer and all the local grocery stores had no appropriate taper candles at all.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Shabbat candles are lit in pairs every Friday evening. Hanukkah candles are lit every night of Hanukkah--one candle for each night plus each night has a "helper" candle which stands higher than the other candles in the menorah. So there are 44 candles in a box (is that right? 44--it's too late for me to do the math ). And they are sized to go in menorahs, so smaller than most shabbat candles.

 

[flminivanmama]

it's just the size & the amount in the box

 

[JennyMominRI]

it's just the size & the amount in the box

got a menorah my first year celebrating Chanukah..I had no idea there were different ones. Stupid me,It had 7 spaces for candles..I didn't know a CHanukah menorah was different

 

[disneysteve]

Shabbat candles are lit in pairs every Friday evening. Hanukkah candles are lit every night of Hanukkah--one candle for each night plus each night has a "helper" candle which stands higher than the other candles in the menorah. So there are 44 candles in a box (is that right? 44--it's too late for me to do the math ). And they are sized to go in menorahs, so smaller than most shabbat candles.

Just to complicate things, because nothing in Judaism is ever simple or has just one answer...

It is customary to light at least 2 Shabbat candles. I know many families that light one for each family member and have a Shabbat candleabra with the appropriate number of holders.

As for Chanukah, your math is correct. Over the 8 nights, 44 candles will be used. However, I have seen boxes of candles that come with 45. I have no clue what that 45th candle is for and keep forgetting to ask our rabbi.

 

[disneysteve]

And as for why Hannukah is celebrated? Who cares! We don't celebrate it, we don't know anybody who celebrates it. It is irrelevant to our lives.

I've read and re-read all of your posts to this thread and still can't bring myself not to respond to this.

Having just watched the movie "Paper Clips" last nite (see my other thread on that very topic), your post quoted above immediately made me think about the Holocaust. During the time that Hitler and the Nazis were exterminating 6 million Jews (and 5 or so million others), millions of people around the world, including many here in the US, said essentially the same thing. Who cares? It doesn't affect me. I'm not Jewish. It is irrelevant to my life. And the horrors went on and on.

Only after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor did the US enter the war because then it did affect "us". How different things might have been had the US joined the war several years earlier.

Can you possibly see now why your post would be offensive to a great many people?

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Just to complicate things, because nothing in Judaism is ever simple or has just one answer...

It is customary to light at least 2 Shabbat candles. I know many families that light one for each family member and have a Shabbat candleabra with the appropriate number of holders.

As for Chanukah, your math is correct. Over the 8 nights, 44 candles will be used. However, I have seen boxes of candles that come with 45. I have no clue what that 45th candle is for and keep forgetting to ask our rabbi.

I'd never heard that about the shabbat candles. See if I had of been cleaning my house and wrapping presents today I wouldn't have been active in this thread and wouldn't have learned this.

As to why there are 45 candles in the box, my guess has always been because without a doubt we always push one of the candles too hard into the holder and it breaks. We can always use an extra candle.

Do you have contests to see who guesses the last candle that will burn out?

 

[Nancy]

Actually it IS very insensitive. Why would you wish someone a Merry Christmas when you know they don’t celebrate it? Specially right after the costumer is asking you why the supermarket does not cater to their faith. It’s like rubbing the whole Christmas thing in the OP’s face. Why didn’t she could have said "Happy Chanukah"?

I had a woman get mad at me when I wished her "Happy Holidays". I only say Merry Christmas to those I am sure are celebrating Christmas. I tried to explain to her that we have a large Jewish clientel and I don't want to say Merry Christmas to someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas. She then proceeded to tell me that She knows lots of Jews and they ALL celebrate Christmas, they love it what someone tells them Merry Christmas......

Ok, this I have never heard before, Jewish people all celebrate Christmas and love being told Merry Christmas...I learned something new

I have also had a customer complain because we were spelling with an "H", not a "C". Can anyone tell me exactly what the difference is and why there are 2 spellings.

 

[disneysteve]

I have also had a customer complain because we were spelling with an "H", not a "C". Can anyone tell me exactly what the difference is and why there are 2 spellings.

Sure, I'll take that one.

Chanukah is a Hebrew word. The only proper correct way to spell it is in Hebrew which uses a totally different character set. Any English spelling is just a transliteration using the English alphabet.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

When my older son was in first grade the word was on a spelling test. The teacher marked his answer as incorrect. I went to the internet and printed off a bunch of different spellings and sent it to the teacher. She then marked his answer as correct and she didn't mess with us after that.

 

[Nancy]

Sure, I'll take that one.

Chanukah is a Hebrew word. The only proper correct way to spell it is in Hebrew which uses a totally different character set. Any English spelling is just a transliteration using the English alphabet.

Thanks, I was always curious to know why there were 2 different spellings. So the "C" is actually the way it should be spelled, correct?

 

[AnaheimGirl]

That may be true on the "left coast" but most of the Christmas cards I have recieved this year say "Merry Christmas" and 75% of them have a religious message celebrating the birth of Christ.

Actually, I don't live on the West Coast anymore (and when I did, I lived in a very conservative, Republican county, so I have to say I find the little play on words inaccurate and a little tiring). I'm glad for you that you are receiving the type of cards you seem to want to receive. But that certainly is no indication of how religious the people who send them are, only the degree to which they desire to acknowledge all their friends beliefs, or perhaps the degree to which they associate with people of other faiths in general.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

This is interesting and explains some of the ways to spell it. http://joemaller.com/category/misc/

And here's a link that explains more about the holiday http://www.israelinsider.com/channels/politics/articles/pol_0082.htm

 

[AnaheimGirl]

I absolutely agree with that. I am tired of censoring every word that comes out of my mouth "just in case".

Then why do it? This is another thing I just don't get. I'm assuming you're talking about saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". If you hate to say it that way, then don't. Just because other people choose to say "Happy Holidays", doesn't mean everyone has to. To many of us, it's not censorship, it's just the way we choose to communicate, and we don't do it to "diminish" Christmas at all, but to include everyone. Seriously, I have never seen anyone being told to say one thing or another when on their own time. Oh, maybe that's it. Do you work in retail?

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I have two questions for Dawn and Ford Family. One I asked in another thread, but will reask. If you had a friend or co-worker who was Jewish and they invited you to their house to eat latkes and light candles, would you go?

How would you feel if you had visitors of another religion at your place of worship?

OK, another question (I can never stop at 2, even though I should be going to bed). If you were invited to a Bar/Bat Mitzvah of a friend or family member, would you make an effort to go? Why or why not?

 

[AnaheimGirl]

The Muslims I knew didn't view me as an Infidel..

Oh, this just reminded me. There were a couple of Muslims (immigrants from the Middle East) at my old office, and they felt the same way about us. They educated us on Ramadan, which many of us were fascinated by, and a group of us even tried fasting with them for a couple of days, just to see what it was like. They can't even drink water during daylight hours, it was hard. They actually were "tickled pink" that we showed such interest and knew full well that it was done out of genuine interest, not some silly attempt to "be seen as diverse".

 

[rigs32]

OP here. I go to dinner and look what happens.

Though the conversation has drifted, I will clarify a few things:
1) the bagger did overhear the conversation, so she knew I did not celebrate Xmas
2) I was in no way rude or upset with any of the store employees. I have always worked in jobs with clients and know that I hate getting yelled at for things beyond my control. I was simply explaining what I saw as the inconsistency of the inventory.
3) The focus of my original post was meant to be on the candle issue and the Merry Xmas business just made the whole incident that much more annoying. I mean, this town DOES have a synagogue!

I was not at all surprised by some of the less than understanding replies. People who have never been in a position similar to a non-Christian at Xmas time don't know what it's like. I feel marginalized every day as people fixate on a holiday that I do not celebrate. Is that my problem? Partly, but this year's "war against the war on Xmas" hasn't helped matters.

Again, you do not wish other people a happy birthday on YOUR birthday, so why does everyone wish everyone - Christian or not - a merry christmas? I would happily work on 12/25 if I was allowed to. As it stands now, I have to use a floating holiday if I want to take Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur off. If I could I'd make up a day by working 12/25.

And I don't think people should watch every single word they say, but sometimes it's not worth opening your mouth. I bet some would think it rude if I replied to every Merry Christmas by informing the person that I do not celebrate the holiday, since they only meant well. But there are times for me to educate and times for me to just move on with my life. You don't get to tell me what can annoy or bother me just because you don't agree.

 

[AnaheimGirl]

Very well said. We don't need to celebrate other's holidays and Holy Days in order to respect their right to do so.

Darn! I hate when I end up posting so many times in a row, but I just now saw this one.

If you feel this way, why do you seem so against the flip side? Non-Christians don't need to celebrate Christmas to respect our right to do so, right? If so, then why are so many people so offended by their desire not to celebrate it, or at least, by a little vent about a grocery store checker?

 

[vivilasvegas]

Here's my completely non PC reply....who the heck cares??? Happy Holiday, Happy Kwanza...whatever!!!!!!!!!! Take it with the intent that it is given...meaning, "hey, hope you have some great days!!!"

Man, and religion is supposed to help people?

 

[tiggersmom2]

Here's my completely non PC reply....who the heck cares??? Happy Holiday, Happy Kwanza...whatever!!!!!!!!!! Take it with the intent that it is given...meaning, "hey, hope you have some great days!!!"

Man, and religion is supposed to help people?

LOL....My thoughts exactly. Who gives a rip what a freakin check out clerk says to you. As long as they aren't telling you to stuff it where the sun don't shine and are attempting to be kind.....hookairs?!

BTW - Merry Christmas all!