SHARING IN HANUKKAH This year we hosted a Hanukkah celebration. We are not Jewish. Our good friend is though, and she was our guest of honour.
Over a week we decorated in blue, white, silver and gold, which are the traditional colours for Hanukkah. We hung gold and silver glass balls on our Christmas tree along with the hand-decorated paper Star-of-Davids that we made. Finally we added a blue lighted star to the top.
Sheila brought her beautiful Venetian glass Menorah, a loaf of braided hallah bread, and a bottle of wine.
The table was set with a shimmering blue table cloth, plain white dinnerware, sparkling clear glasses and gleaming polished cutlery. In the center we placed an arrangement of fresh green cedar boughs and a solitary pomegranate.
The menu included foods cooked in oil or that include oil in their ingredients, to celebrate the miracle of the oil, which is what Hanukkah is all about.
My daughter Victoria prepared delicious potato latkes or pancakes, which are cooked in oil. I made lovely citrus roasted chicken. A colourful green salad, with red peppers, olives, Spanish onions, mushrooms, radishes, and feta cheese, completed the meal. We tossed the salad with a freshly made raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It was all simple food, but really yummy!
As the Hanukkah candles were lit in the Menorah, Sheila sang the prayer for that night of Hanukkah and for Shabbat, as it was a Friday evening. She also sang the blessings over the wine and the hallah. It was lovely to experience her faith and culture, to participate in prayers that have been sung over so many centuries. If everyone experienced each others culture like that there would be no war, no atrocities. It was truly a blessing to us all.
Following the meal we all enjoyed delicious cinnamon chocolate cake and tea.
There was much chatting and joking after dinner. We exchanged Hanukkah gifts, just little things, but it was such fun.
Sheila brought her guitar and later we sung some Hanukkah songs. 'I had a Little Dreidel' was one. We also sung some of her favourite folk songs from the 60's. It was just a wonderful evening.
We plan to do it again this year!
