Holiday Memories, Probably Tacky

Since navelofwine was talking about her Hannukah memories in her comments to my previous post, I thought I'd subject folks to whatever memories of my own past Khannukot that I think of. The ones are home are a bit of a blur, especially the earlier ones. I remember the inevitable Channukah party at Hebrew school, with its socially mandatory distaste for the latkes, although to be honest, many years they were vile. One year they were hash browns, not latkes. I remember someone telling me that they were from McDonalds, but lately someone told me that McDonalds ones are round/oval, and I remember these being vaguely triangular. Another year, for some reason, they tasted like fish. I remember in I think 4th grade, deciding to wait until my classmates had eaten some of the latkes to make sure that they weren't poisoned (I did this with cookies out Hebrew teacher brought for us once that year too). At home, Hannukah involved reading the backs of candle boxes to try and remember whether one lit the candles or said the blessing first, and usually some disagreement over whether we were saying or singing the blessings. My sister and I used to alternate who lit the candles, which I think I mentioned earlier- but Dad was always the one to put the Shamash back, especially since in the little area between the candles and the window it got quite hot. It always made me nervous. I'm pretty sure it made azpuchaz nervous too. After we lit them, usually we opened/exchanged presents, although grandparental presents usually got done during the day instead, except when we were much littler.

Freshman year I enjoyed lighting candles with friends here, and amused my mother with my use of "lighting" as an intransitive verb. Mom and Dad got me a menorah which this year I unfortunately couldn't find.

Last year I was home, which meant that at least I could give answers on the hows of candlelighting, which I'd picked up at school. Mom and I threw a joint Hannukah party which was rather amusing as far as guests (her choir director, my best friend and his parents, soem friends from dancing, my non-Jewish middle school best friend), but in which I discovered that sour cream and hot homemade applesauce taste Really good together.

Holiday Memories, Probably Tacky

Since navelofwine was talking about her Hannukah memories in her comments to my previous post, I thought I'd subject folks to whatever memories of my own past Khannukot that I think of. The ones are home are a bit of a blur, especially the earlier ones. I remember the inevitable Channukah party at Hebrew school, with its socially mandatory distaste for the latkes, although to be honest, many years they were vile. One year they were hash browns, not latkes. I remember someone telling me that they were from McDonalds, but lately someone told me that McDonalds ones are round/oval, and I remember these being vaguely triangular. Another year, for some reason, they tasted like fish. I remember in I think 4th grade, deciding to wait until my classmates had eaten some of the latkes to make sure that they weren't poisoned (I did this with cookies out Hebrew teacher brought for us once that year too). At home, Hannukah involved reading the backs of candle boxes to try and remember whether one lit the candles or said the blessing first, and usually some disagreement over whether we were saying or singing the blessings. My sister and I used to alternate who lit the candles, which I think I mentioned earlier- but Dad was always the one to put the Shamash back, especially since in the little area between the candles and the window it got quite hot. It always made me nervous. I'm pretty sure it made azpuchaz nervous too. After we lit them, usually we opened/exchanged presents, although grandparental presents usually got done during the day instead, except when we were much littler.

Freshman year I enjoyed lighting candles with friends here, and amused my mother with my use of "lighting" as an intransitive verb. Mom and Dad got me a menorah which this year I unfortunately couldn't find.

Last year I was home, which meant that at least I could give answers on the hows of candlelighting, which I'd picked up at school. Mom and I threw a joint Hannukah party which was rather amusing as far as guests (her choir director, my best friend and his parents, soem friends from dancing, my non-Jewish middle school best friend), but in which I discovered that sour cream and hot homemade applesauce taste Really good together.