Every year I Scramble to Figure Out When the Jewish Holidays Begin
Hannukah can be problematic when it falls early in December or late in November.
The Jewish holidays always fall on a different day every year which can be a big source of stress. Every year, I find myself caught off guard and scrambling to figure out when they begin. Hannukah can be really problematic when it falls really early in December or late in November. My favorite years have always been when Hannukah overlaps with Christmas because then our festivities happen at the same time and we can take advantage of the Black Friday sales.
It is always a struggle to find nice Hannukah decorations. The stores usually make a display of everything blue, white, and silver they can find in the store and call it a day. The grocery stores always put out boxes of matzah as if suffering with it through Passover isn’t bad enough. As the years have gone by, the selection of decorations has definitely gotten better but that is in part because I now live in an area with a sizeable Jewish population. I’m a member of an online Jewish women’s group. Every Hannukah, there is a fight about how we should not be making Hannukah the Jewish Christmas. This year, the Hannukah gnomes appear to be particularly problematic for some of us. Maybe they are being confused with elves?
When I was 8 years old, my family moved to an area where my sister and I were the only Jewish kids. We were always the only house on the street without Christmas lights. In a vast sea of green and red, our house was conspicuously dark. As nice as Hannukah is, it always fell flat next to Christmas. My parents let us sit on Santa’s lap at the mall but we knew he didn’t come to our house.
My mother was of the opinion that anything she purchased starting in September was a Hannukah present. It was not uncommon for us to find socks and underwear as two of our eight presents. One year, she bought me and my sister each a pair of overalls but only one shirt that we had to share. As a child I used to stare longingly out the window watching the kids on my block play with their new Christmas toys. Now, I look forward to Christmas as the one day I have zero obligation to be anywhere and I can stay home and read a book. I couldn’t even go to a store if I wanted to.
My Dad always had it the hardest because it was impossible for him to pick out a present that my mom would actually like. One year, he bought her a very expensive set of face cream from Estee Lauder and he still hasn’t heard the end of it. My sister and I once bought her a necklace from Bloomingdales that she picked out herself and she still returned it. We always say we should just give her the gift at the mall so she can return it right away.
Making latkes is always an exciting and greasy experience so now I just pick up a few boxes from Trader Joes. Jelly donuts are always a fan favorite and, over the years, we have expanded our repertoire to include chocolate and custard filled ones as well.
This year, right after Thanksgiving, I sat on the living room floor after digesting my turkey and wrapped presents for my kids. I hoped I had eight for each so I wouldn’t have to frantically purchase more, which I’ve had to do in the past. But I planned well this year — even though Hannukah began on the ridiculously early date of November 28th.
