Day 3: The Second Night of Hanukkah

I am all about diversity. Bring it.  In fact, let's start with everyone in the north accepting that this Southern Belle is here to stay!  Have you noticed that bloggers find ways to make everything about themselves?

I know that December is a month of lots of holidays.  As they talk about all of them, my children come home with many more questions about what they learn at school. Nick Jr. has activities here.  Playhouse Disney has all kinds of celebration activities here. The one holiday my older two always want more of  is Hanukkah.  While they are celebrating diversity, my kids have seemed to have missed that not all the traditions are celebrated by everyone-that's what makes it diverse.


"Mom, why don't we light a menorah?"
"Because we don't."
"But why don't we?"

"It's not our tradition. We are Episcopalian."
"But can't we?"
"Well no, it's not our tradition."

Then I had too much caffeine in my system from my peppermint mocha and was up at night thinking about it.

Well, why can't he if he is interested and I have been told to celebrate diversity? Do we check a book out of the library? Do we buy one on our own? What do I do?


I asked my Jewish friend and running partner about this-hoping she would not be offended that my son wants a menorah. She is the mother of two sons as well, but she has a better handle on it than I do. If they are playing Jedi, all she has to do is tell her boys, "Remember, only the light sabers touch." And they do it.  Not surprisingly, she had a handle on this too.

 
"Page, of course he is curious about something he is learning about at school. Why don't you come for the second night at our house?"


We lived in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh for a year.  No one rocks out Hanukkah like Squirrel Hill.  The Jewish Community Center had a huge menorah outside with lights lit for each night.  One afternoon I held my older two and we watched the Hanukkah parade go by on Murray Avenue.  Families came as far away as Cranberry to watch it. I will never forget that moment as long as live and I don't think I will ever see that anywhere else.  But until last night, I had never lit a menorah.

My children, being my children, make nervous on a normal day.  I am always paranoid when we go to someone's house and twice as paranoid on a special day. They most certainly didn't disappoint me.

They were dead quiet during the lighting of the two candles, and one of them started to talk a little during the prayer, but now I can't remember which one it was.  After the prayer, my daughter asked if she could make a wish and my son wanted to know who got to blow the candles out.  My friend answered them so sweetly by telling them they could always wish for anything and the candles go out on their own after thirty minutes.  How does she do it?


They ate their potato latkes while my son kept saying, "I know what those are!  I know what those are! I know all of it!  These are delicious!" I think I owe her another jar of applesauce.


Then, because they are children, they all ran upstairs to play with the new Hanukkah gift: Wii.

They had a wonderful time-and I feel like they have more knowledge about it than they did the day before.  It is one thing to read a book or do it at school, but to go to a special friend's house and be included has never happened to me before-even growing up with my friend Ray Ray down the street-his was the only Bar Mitzvah I ever attended.


As we were leaving Kenneth said to his friend, "Bye! Come to our house the third night!"

You know, a little oil that can burn for eight nights and friends that know how curious children can be are definitely miracles to thank God for!