slo’s WEDNESDAY 12/17 poll - Hanukkah 🕎

[tvguy]

I have posted in the past that my Father's family history seems to have been lost to time for a whole lot of reasons. I grew up in the Presbyterian church, with the only deviation being going to a Seventh Day Adventist High School for one year.
So a couple of years ago when I got an Ancestry DNA test for Christmas, the surprise is I am 24% Jewish, my largest genetic group. So apparently my paternal Grandfather was Jewish. No record of this, and was not practicing that we know of. My dad and aunt were 10 and 12 when their parents died and religion of any sort was not a part of their upbringing to that point, and they either were never told, or were too young to remember any family history.
So apparently it has been well over 100 years since anyone in my family observed the Jewish faith.

 

[georgina]

I'm shocked that so many don't have a friend that's Jewish! Maybe it's a regional thing(I'm in the northeast) -when I was in school, we had so many Jewish students that we actually got some of their holidays off as well. I will say this -my Jewish friends are some of the strongest, well-grounded, and kind people I know..... So you're really missing out!

I grew up in a very Irish Catholic neighborhood, went to catholic schools, etc. Didn't meet a Jewish person until college. I know a few Jewish people in my local neighborhood now, but not closely and I have no idea if they celebrate, I certainly don't see any outside house decorations around where I am.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I live in the suburbs of NYC, and was raised Catholic, but have many Jewish friends and neighbors, including the family next door. My town holds a public menorah lighting as well as Christmas tree lighting ceremony for the season.

For what it's worth, I've always been told that Hanukkah is not really a big holiday but has been blown up due to its timing around Christmas festivities and the commercial potential.

I believe this is true, but don’t see anything wrong with it. Love your Hanukkah decorations, and I love latkes!

I also usually put up a large outside light display. Considering the fact that Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, I feel that exterior lights can be just as much in celebration of Hanukkah as it can be for Christmas. DH grew up Christian as well, so like my father, it gives him a bit of both.

I know several families who celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. I think it’s great to include traditions of both.

 

[Kitty 34]

My first semester at Concordia University in River Forest I was a nanny for a Jewish family. I learned a lot from them about their holidays.

Happy Hanukkah to our DISers celebrating.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I live in the suburbs of NYC, and was raised Catholic, but have many Jewish friends and neighbors, including the family next door. My town holds a public menorah lighting as well as Christmas tree lighting ceremony for the season.


I believe this is true, but don’t see anything wrong with it. Love your Hanukkah decorations, and I love latkes!


I know several families who celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. I think it’s great to include traditions of both.

Normally, it just feels like the best of both worlds being able to have bits of both. My Jewish grandparents were pretty strict about certain things when I was growing up but I blend a lot more in adulthood.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I certainly don't see any outside house decorations around where I am.

That seems to be a more modern trend. My grandparents would certainly not approve of any of my decor. As it was, they had some issue with the single strand of lights my parents used to hang in our front window over our menorah.

 

[RedAngie]

I had homemade mushroom barley soup and store bought latkes for dinner tonight.

(Or in Polish talk, krupnik and platzki.)

 

[LuvOrlando]

We have family who celebrate and we keep a steady supply of 8 gifts per child per year showing up plus will be joining them so whatever choice that is we are - I call it a blend

 

[Deb]

I celebrate Hanukkah/Chanukah.

While my dad's side of the family is Protestant, my mom's side is Jewish. It's my understanding that in Judeo Christian customs, you are supposed to have the kids take the wife's religion, so my brother and I were raised Jewish. My dad has never converted but he goes along and participates in everything.

I used to have Hanukkah elements to my outdoor display, but my Mensch on a Bench died after the first year and my massive Hanukkah bear lasted only about 3 years.

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I have an indoor display in this little nook. I primarily use my electric menorah but I have several that use candles if I feel so inclined. I have a large number of dreidels and little games, but my crowning glory is my Little People Hanukkah set. I lost the mom, baby, dog and high chair over the years, but I have everything else...AND it still works.

I do not deep fry, so I usually buy jelly donuts if I want faux sufganiyot. I have one kid that is deathly allergic to nuts, so I will not make rugelach, but will buy it if I find some. I do turn into a ONE-WOMAN-LATKE-FACTORY one night a year. That night this year will be Friday. I'm also hoping to run out at lunch and find some better jelly donuts as all I could find on Sunday (by the time I got out) were apple fritters. Apple is much more prevalent in Rosh Hashanah festivities but I just went with it and added in some Nutella to embody the spirt of the nuts in the rugelach.

For what it's worth, I've always been told that Hanukkah is not really a big holiday but has been blown up due to its timing around Christmas festivities and the commercial potential. Hanukkah also follows the Judaic calendar and will not be on the same dates each year. Hence why it seems like the start/end is always bouncing around.

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I also usually put up a large outside light display. Considering the fact that Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, I feel that exterior lights can be just as much in celebration of Hanukkah as it can be for Christmas. DH grew up Christian as well, so like my father, it gives him a bit of both.

you can absolutely make nut free rugulach. My grandmother's were always jam filled. But I've never thought of them as being particularly related to Chanukah

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So apparently my paternal Grandfather was Jewish. No record of this, and was not practicing that we know of. My dad and aunt were 10 and 12 when their parents died and religion of any sort was not a part of their upbringing to that point, and they either were never told, or were too young to remember any family history.
So apparently it has been well over 100 years since anyone in my family observed the Jewish faith.

The Jewish identity (in Conservative Judaism) is passed down to children of mixed marriages (Jewish & other religion) through the mother. So, if his wife wasn't Jewish, the lineage doesn't pass on.

 

[tvguy]

The Jewish identity (in Conservative Judaism) is passed down to children of mixed marriages (Jewish & other religion) through the mother. So, if his wife wasn't Jewish, the lineage doesn't pass on.

She was not. Interesting. Doesn't change my DNA results though.

 

[leebee]

I'm shocked that so many don't have a friend that's Jewish! Maybe it's a regional thing(I'm in the northeast) -when I was in school, we had so many Jewish students that we actually got some of their holidays off as well. I will say this -my Jewish friends are some of the strongest, well-grounded, and kind people I know..... So you're really missing out!

I grew up in a Boston suburb where a large proportion of residents were Jewish, so many that we had Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur off from school; too many kids and teachers (and substitute teachers) would have been out of school, so the Jewish holidays were part of the public school calendar. The majority of my friends were Jewish, and at least half of the families I knew kept Kosher. Also, my grandparents "collected" people, so I had quite a aunts and uncles to whom I am not related, two sets of which (whom?) were Jewish. I've always participated in Hanukkah celebrations at my friends' homes or with my family. We currently celebrate Christmas as a secular/cultural holiday as we don't folow any religion, but I feel that if I got to a point where I felt I needed religion in my life, I'd choose Judaism. In my experience, Judaism is more of a lifestyle than just a religion, which was my experience with Christianity.

Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends!

 

[TiggerTrigger]

you can absolutely make nut free rugulach. My grandmother's were always jam filled. But I've never thought of them as being particularly related to Chanukah

Very true! Come to think of it, the bulk of the ones we got from the markets in NJ were raspberry. They also showed up at pretty much every holiday, Shabbat services, etc. I think part of it is that I also like the nutty ones but don't like using my equipment for anything with nuts in case the residue lingers and creates a contaminated equipment issue. That being said, I think I found a workaround and will be doing three flavors that won't require anything with my stand mixer or food processor.

1. Cinnamon roll filling with pecan bits (Trader Joe's had nicely pre-chopped ones) and golden raisins
2. Sweetened cream cheese and raspberry jam
3. Nutella and rice cereal bits

 

[Deb]

Very true! Come to think of it, the bulk of the ones we got from the markets in NJ were raspberry. They also showed up at pretty much every holiday, Shabbat services, etc. I think part of it is that I also like the nutty ones but don't like using my equipment for anything with nuts in case the residue lingers and creates a contaminated equipment issue. That being said, I think I found a workaround and will be doing three flavors that won't require anything with my stand mixer or food processor.

1. Cinnamon roll filling with pecan bits (Trader Joe's had nicely pre-chopped ones) and golden raisins
2. Sweetened cream cheese and raspberry jam
3. Nutella and rice cereal bits

yum