Eight Crazy Nights

This Advent season, I’ve been introducing Jacob to some of my Christmas traditions, like a Christmas tree, Advent calendar (chocolate!) and Advent wreath and candles. He’s most intrigued by the wreath and candles, which he likes to blow out every night and sing “Happy Birthday.” The first time I impulsively inserted “Jesus” in the final refrain, and it’s kind of stuck. With all the Jesus happening in our house, I think it’s only fair to inject a little Jewishness into the scene.

Unlike my frenzy of decorating and tree trimming and humming of Christmas hymns, Josh is pretty neutral. He’s neither repelled by all the Jesus around here, but he’s not running out to get a menorah either. So mainly this Jesus guilt is all me. I want to model inclusivity to Jacob, and make sure that he understands where he comes from on both sides, and the best way that I know how to do this is through tradition.

While I grew up in a town where we had a lot of Jewish friends and got a taste of it, I don’t know all that much about Jewish cultural traditions beyond some Yiddish and that our family friend A’s potato kugel on Christmas is one of the best things I ever tasted. So, I’m starting with what is familiar and comfortable to me: food. While I have ambitions of brisket, I’m trying to be realistic about my current energy stores.

Thus, I present to you the Henig’s Hanukkah 2009: Eight nights of latkes. Basically, I’m going to do my best to create some Jewish sides over the next eight days as an entry point for Jacob and myself. I’ll mainly stick to latkes (potato, zucchini, carrot and yam, oh my!) and mix in a potato kugel and veggie kugel for fun. We won’t be doing 8 presents or the lighting of the menorah, but this is a starting point for me to help honor Josh’s ancestry.

As I’ve mentioned, Josh’s grandparents were the only surviving members of their family. Without them, I would not have the family or life that I have right now, and I am so grateful for that they made it through and created the family that exists today. I’m not going to diminish my own background and traditions, but there is plenty of light to shine on each of our worlds, and if anything, celebration of light is what this season is all about.