Good Lifestyle

I'm what you would call Jewish. I have never opened the Torah. I do not know a hebrew licking. I will only assist the Temple service for weddings, funerals and mitzvahs. And speaking of Mitzvahs: at the eternal sorrow of my family, I chose myself. (Sorry, Nana!) But, on the other hand, I never miss the high holidays. And I have an almost instinctive affinity for Lox, the Upper East Side, and all thingsLarry David. As I said: Jewishish.

So, it can happen as a little surprise that Hanukkah-more than the New Year, more than my birthday, more than even Thanksgiving, where an irreviged gourmet is not only accepted but encouraged - is my favorite holidays of the year. And yet, these eight crazy nights are constantly neglected. When you think of what yourfavorite Holidays, Are you even considering Hanukka? See? I told you. And I implore you reconsider. Here's why the festivities should not be counted.

Simply obvious obvious once: eight days of gifts is better than a day ofgifts. And if you have trouble thinkingeight Entire gift ideas for your Jewish friend, take a look at the100 great gifts of less than $ 100.

When it's going to her, however,Hanukka is a really graceful party. And do not take me from me, the guy who just sang the praises of consumerism on weekdays; taken fromRabbi Shlomo Zalman Bregman. "Give is one of the things that Jews are supposed to work during Hanukka," he says. "And that does not mean something tangible, like an iPhone or what do you have. It might be time. It could be love."

Of course, if you do not live at home anymore, it's always nice to visit your people for the holidays. But Hanoukka is not really one of the single-level holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas) that mandateSpliring on a plane ticket. To say that work, school, social society orI-just-never-want-do not want The bonds prevent you from going home. Do not sweep, your Jewish people will not be. (In addition, we all know how horrible airports and authorities can be horrible during the holiday season. No thanks.)

"There is an old joke about Jewish holidays. They can all be summarized in nine words," says Bregman. "They tried to kill us. We won. Moths." And let me tell you: it absolutely checks. For the last Passover, I ate so much that I burst a button on my shirt. For Hanukka, you eat like that not only one day but foreight.

Speaking of food, during Hanukka, we are mistaken our faces with a delicacy including: jelly donuts. Justification, according toJoan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook, is based on the old Israeli folklore. Apparently, after God gave Adam and watches at Eden's boot, he felt a thrill of guilty. To do this to young lovers, he gave them jelly donuts. It's a beautiful story, but the truth is that I will take any excuse for charging sweets.

The fried potatoes, no matter the form (hash, shoestring, french), could very well be the best food on the planet. But all types are lower compared to the Latke, a concoction of the shredded potato, green onions and shredded potatoes, and if you inform yourself of the tradition-couplesauce.

Everyone knows that Hanoukkah famous, likeAdam Sandler Decreed, eight crazy nights. But these eight nights represent something that is actually pretty, well, crazy. As history is happening, the Maccabe Jews were in the second temple of Jerusalem. They needed light, but had only enough oil to keep a downward candle overnight. Miraculously, the oil lasted eight nights.

Here is a fact perhaps too revealing who will probably have probably systemic to me: Ito hate Christmas music. Can not really stand things. If "Jingle Bells" appears onStarbucks, I go out before ordering. Of course, Hanukka music is not much better ("Put your Yarmulke, here's Hanukka, "is not exactlyTHOM YORKE-Grade lyricism). But it's marginally better - and it's at least something.

We, Jews come together around a Menorah, a spiritual candelabra, with nine shuttersand not a tree.

Aim for it: Christmas celebrations take forever. First, there is the Christmas EVE church service. (A recent, widely sharedOP-ED in theCatholic National Registry actually calls to ChristmasDayChurch service, too.) Then, there is any debit-a-million-million-presents. And then there is a huge feast and all the cleaning that involves.

With Hanukka, the time commitment, although dispersed more than a week, is minimal. You turn on the candle, say maybe a prayer (according to your religion), unpack a gift or two, and continue your night.

According to Bregman, the spirit of Hanukka is it: "A little light dissipates a lot of darkness." In 2018,It's a message I can really take behind.

Last year, Hanukka started on Tuesday, December 12th. In 2016, he started Saturday, December 24th. In 2013, Hanukka began on Thursday, November 28, which is also disgusting Thanksgiving, leading to the creation of the charming Portmanteau, "Thankgivoukka". And yes, in celebration, I stuffed my face doubling. This year, the celebrations start on Sunday 2nd December and somewhere in the eight-day period, my birthday workshops (no, you do not find exactly when), which means ... Double vacation!

Come on: everyone-Jew or not - likes to turn the Dreidel. Although, yes, technically, you can play on Non-Hanoukkah nights, it is encouraged and expected you play during the holidays.

The second that the clock hits midnight on the black Friday, our culture goes in the Christmas mania in its own right. Trees, crowns, Jingle bells - It's everywhere. On the one hand, it is positively charming for everyone to be in a collective holiday spirit. But on the other hand, the corporation of the mass is no longer the main Holy Day of the religion of religion.CYNICAL CASHING CYCLE It finally dilutes the intrinsic message of the holiday festival?

Hanoukka has an illustrious story, a large complex and impregnated part of aStars wars-The stages of tradition. But the hollow is this: the Maccabe Jews have successfully resisted the armies of the Empire Seleduid, a Greek state that rejected Jerusalem and Israel at the time. At the end of the story, everyone ended up living in relative peace and harmony.

Here is the thing: the Greek of my father, and my parents-Greek and Jew - were onceextremely divorced. (The years would go without being in the same room together.) But now, they are back together - and they now live together in peace and harmony. Talk about a metaphor.

To discover more incredible secrets about the life of your best life,Click hereTo follow you on Instagram!