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Chanuka is almost here……YIPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
As a kid I would learn in school the whole exciting Chanukah story, do arts ‘n crafts, learn the halachos, and minhagim of the upcoming Yom Tov…really felt the festivities in the air.
Now I am a parent, b”H, and my kids are now singing Chanukah songs, playing dreidel, and spreading their enthusiastic joy and excitement throughout the house. I always loved Chanukah, and want to know what you CR’ians do that arouses your Chanukah spirit, and what makes this time of year so special on a personal level? Do you have family reunions? Any special or ‘family secret’ Chanukah recipes? A nice vort, or chiddish? Please share.
Typical Baal Habooze always concerned about the spirits.
Which channuka spirit? The one where we kill all the NoCirc people?
I LOVE CHANUKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT’S THE BEST!!!!!!!! i listen to Chanuka music, make Chanuka decorations, and talk (and sing) about it all day and night long! We do have a small Chanuka party just for family (sometimes a friend). but i love the menorah, the dreidels, the songs, the miracle story behind it all, and the whole CHANUKA CHEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
last year, by my family chanuka party, i used a dreidel i bought online , with a gimmel on all 4 sides, LOL, it took about 5-6 minutes, until my sister ‘chapped’ my trick.
Tzaddiq you naughty person! So tzaddiq by name but not by nature? You must be quite a tzaddik nistar…
It still should not have taken 5-6 minutes for your sister to chap unless each person was playing with their own dreidel in which case you should have bought one for her also… with 4 shins!
join the ywn chanukah party!
ken zayn….?, i know sometimes even a tzaddiq can’t resist a good shtick. and that ‘shin’ dreidel is right up my alley…just have to think how i make someone use it.
i remember when i was a bochur in yeshiva i decided to eat a latkeh every night and add one each night (like the neiros) so that on the 8th night i would eat 8 latkehs. the guys made fun of me and we all laughed, but i had the last laugh. i told them i experienced a true chanuka miracle. those latkehs burned for eight days stright.?
sufficed to say, i stick to the dreidels these days.
Please don’t confuse “Chanukah spirit” with the so called “Christmas spirit” that is all over the place at this time of year. The true Chanukah spirit is ” Mi laShem eilai”, the willingness to be moser nefesh for the RBSO and His Torah.
Raphael Kaufman:
who’s confusing the two?? we’re getting excited for chanuka and every little thing about it – from the neiros to dreidel to latkehs. the chanuka spirit is all over the place at this time of year too, you just have to put on your “jewish glasses” to “see” the spirit around us. having said that, i hope i am too on the level to declare ‘mi l’hashem elai’.
So when and what time is the CR Chanukah party? What should I bring?
I love tzaddiq’s dreidel story! On what site did you buy it? I must have one!
We could get in the spirit and go attack some Reform Jews (we whooped them back good during Hanukah, even though they sent for the main Greek army to help), but that might not be politically correct so we content ourselves with extra davening and lighting candles.
I make a point of learning and encouraging my kids to do the same, while the candles are glowing. Learning Torah is one of the key things the Greeks wanted to abolish, so to learn when the candles are aflame seems to be some delicious revenge in making a point of doing what the enemies of Torah wanted to destroy.
merry christmas
A great way to get into the spirit is to reflect for a few minutes a day on how good we have it here in America and appreciate that we have religious freedom and can serve Hashem to our hearts content without the threat of being killed for doing the will of Hashem.
I second Rephael Kaufman. True Chanukah spirit has very little to do with the music dreidels and parties. We have to be careful not to allow the tofel to become the ikkar. Chanukah afterall is about praising Hashem. Lehodos uLehallel Leshimcha Hagadol on Niseicha, al Nifleosecha v’al Yeshuoisecha.
i will celebrate this year in florida with my siblings and their kids. should be fun fun fun!
i agree with WIY and Raphael, but you can’t stop others from getting excited even over the small things from Yom Tov.
???? ???? ????? ??? ?????
the fact is that around my house the excitment about everything to do with chanukah – even mom’s special donuts – is nothing short of contagious, lol. but you definitly are correct, that the ikkar is praising the rbs”o.
PBT
Good chinuch!
what a poem
my chanukah spirits are really really really high
the best of chanukah is having time with ur family without having any restrictions like on pesach…..
soliek- Very funny! I was waiting for that, but I was expecting it from Toi.
One can go to see how the Chassidish Rebbes light the menorah…
I believe that can be a great way to feel the spirit of Chanukah!
that was great baalhabooz!
well i’m off to florida! so long everyone! a freiliche chanuka!
im off to florida to spend my chanuka vacation
waiting for my flight ther’s much elation
cant wait to see
my entire family
so goodbye CR, and the whole YWN organization.
psssst….can you feel it?
it’s just around the corner.
ok, i couldn’t resist buying myself a donut last nite. i looooove donuts and never buy them except chanukah time. so this was like a ????? 🙂
Raphael Kaufman: That’s exactly what I was going to say! The whole point of Chanukah is that we don’t incorporate the practices of others into our Holy Days and celebrations. So, “Chanukah spirit” does not belong in our lexicon.
HANUKKAH SPIRIT: We should go out and slaughter Reform Jews and/or Hiloni Israelis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, maybe that’s a bit extreme. However the holiday is not about pastry or presents. Just read the text of “Al ha-Nissim”.
calm down guys! sheeesh, you’d think somebody here said “merry chanukah” or “let’s sing a chanuka carol.”
there is nothing wrong with getting excited for the next yomtov, chanuka, even if it means tasting a donut. no one ever said donuts and latkes are what chanuka is all about. you people have to chill, and stop being such critical, analytical, and hot-headed posters!
I love Hannukah Spirit
Some Nice Jack Daniels, or Johnny Walker really hits the spot
I love to think about the light and warmth of Hannukah at this darkest time of year (here in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, at least). The beauty of winter and it’s contrasts as we shine these lights of celebration, cheer, and community…so beautiful to behold!
A little difficult to prepare for Chanukah when you are still not home because of Sandy…
Aurora77
I must have mentioned it before, I really like how you write. 🙂
welcome back aurora!
tzaddiq- where did you get the dreidel? i really want one of those!!!
Thanks!
Hello WIY and SaysMe,
Thank you WIY for what you said above…I enjoy your posts as well! 🙂
Thank you for the welcome back SaysMe, it has been a busy time on the home front, but I hope things are settling down now so that I can come back more regularly and enjoy a nice virtual cup of coffee with my CR friends!
kkls45- are you a victim of Sandy? my heart goes out to you and all that are displaced for Chanukah. may the rbs”o give you the stregth and courage to rebuild you lives, and celebrate chanuka in much happiness with your family.
welcome back aurura77!
I think Raphael Kaufman got it right when he suggested that “Chanukah spirit” is an assimilated cousin of Xmas spirit. If you look at the treatment of Chanukah in Jewish writings prior to about 1850 (or, if you prefer, 5611), you will not see much about Chanukah, and certainly nothing about “Chanukah spirit.” There is no denying it: the “spirit” of the gentile culture has rubbed off on, and infected, frum culture.
oh come off zed! what ‘spirit’ do you think rubbed onto us anyway? That there is a ‘ghost of chanuka’ at this time of year?! Please!?! The intention here clearly is the excitement of this tekufa called Chanuka and it’s beauty, the break we get from our busy daily lives and spend time with our family, getting inspired from our chanuka licht, telling stories, playing dreidel and whetting our appetites with Mom’s delicious potato latkes.
Thank you tzaddiq for the welcome back!
In my opinion, feeling joy in and celebrating one’s own holidays is a marvelous thing. I spend time trying to see each holiday as a child would, with “fresh” eyes…all the wonder, curiosity, and awe. The memories that result have such incredible potential to ensure one’s lifelong attachment to the community.
Hello kkls45,
I too am so saddened to hear about your predicament. I hope and pray that you and your loved ones are back in your home soon and that your damages are minimal. I hope some Chanukah festivities find their way to you in the interim.
Aurora will you be attending at Chanuka Parties, perhaps the local Chabad in Philly area will have one (they usually do)
Tzaddiq – amen. thank you!
The “spirit” of Hanukah is the goyim and frei Jews wanted us to stop being a bunch meshuganah fanatics, and we whipped them good.
However given who we live among, it has always been a matter of “discretion is the better part of valor” and we try not to talk about it too much. We say hallel, al ha-nissim, light candles, have some milkigs and wink at what Yehudis did (not something we’ld be encouraging our daughters to emulate) – but it isn’t wise to loudly celebrate a victory over our neighbors when we live next door to the same.
Hello zahavasdad,
I hope all is well with you 🙂 I have been considering going to a Chanuka party, but I am trying to get over being shy or embarrassed in person about sticking out like a sore thumb due to my lack of knowledge regarding customs etc. I’m sure that sounds silly but I worry about being conspicuous. I am the kind of person who tends to feel out-of-place at large social gatherings, even when I am completely familiar with what’s going on…one might say that I’m a wall-flower. This is a part of my personality that I struggle with all the time. And I’m sure that the people would be very welcoming, so I am not sure why I am so timid.
Aurora77 – amen thanx so much!
Sorry I was being such a grouch about it. I have to learn to be more positive.
I also sometimes feel like that at large social gatherings..what works for me is to bring a good friend to hang out with there!
Hello kkls45,
Please, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for! I can not even begin to imagine the hardship and devastation caused to you and all those afflicted by Hurricane Sandy. “Home” is profound…for a homebody like me ( no pun intended), it is everything! If sharing here can alleviate even an iota of the frustration, angst, and suffering, I hope you share as much as you feel comfortable. I will be here to listen and only wish I could do more! My thoughts and prayers will be with you, that you and all those you love are restored home and made whole in this long recovery.
Aurora77,
You are helping me just by understanding me and validating how I feel. When I say anything about being annoyed about being displaced, most people just say that I will be going back soon so i shouldn’t worry about it. I don’t usually tell anyone when I am upset about anything, so it is nice to see how people care here in the CR.
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