Holiday Fun … Games and Celebrati ons
Another Sufganiyout Please … Pass the Latkes
Celebration of Hanukkah means delicious food such as sufganiyout, tasty doughnuts, and latkes, potato pancakes served with sour cream and applesauce. Both of these foods are fried in oil, which is the real reason they have meaning to the observance of Hanukkah.
Pure as Oil
Olive oil is made by crushing the olive until the oil floats to the top. Seen as the purest part of the olive, this oil symbolizes the pure essence of the Jewish people.
The First Hanukkah
After victory over the Greeks, ancient Hebrews met in a temple and found only enough purified olive oil to light the menorah for one night. Or so they thought. Instead the light lasted for eight days.
Hanukkah Today
Today Jewish families remember this miracle by lighting a candle on the menorah each evening of the eight days of Hanukkah.
Ellie Blaser, of Traceys Landing, Lighting the Menorah
Hanukkah: an Eight Day Celebration
Fun and Games
A fun game to play during the Hanukkah holiday is dreidel. It was originally played by the Hebrew people at a time when they were ruled by the Greeks and not allowed to speak together about religion. They had the idea to gather to play games such as cards, dominoes and dreidel; this gave them a chance to discuss the things that were important to them without the rulers knowing about it.
What is a Dreidel?
It’s a four-sided top with a Hebrew letter inscribed on each side. Players in a game of dreidel put tokens into a pot in hopes that on a good spin of the dreidel they can win the whole pot.
The letters each have a specific meaning in the game:
Shin: put one token in the pot
Hey: take one half of the pot
Gimei: take the whole pot
Nun: take nothing
Gambling or Risk Taking?
Sounds a little like gambling, but the Jewish people see dreidel as a symbol for risk-taking.
In ancient times, risk-taking by Jewish leaders paid off in freedom for their people. Against high odds, they were often victorious because someone decided to take a chance, a risk.
2 Simple Ways to Make “Fun Dreidels”
Get a chocolate “kiss.” Cut a wooden toothpick in half. Push the pointed end of the toothpick into the bottom’s center until it feels secure. Then spin your chocolate dreidel on the point of the kiss.
•Cut out from a piece of paper a circle about 11/2 inches in diameter. Push a wooden toothpick through the center and twirl it.
Kids’ Calendar
Magic Meetings with Santa
Till Christmas Eve (10-9 M-Sa; 11-6 Su)–Bring the kids for sittings w/Santa Claus as they submit their wish lists atop his lap. Also take home pictures to remember the occasion by. He’s off to make his yearly rounds by 5pm Christmas Eve @ Annapolis Mall: 410/266-5432.
Holiday Hike
Thurs. Dec 28 (2pm)-Enjoy a 11/2 hour hike around Kinder Farm Park seeking winter wildlife including both animals and plants. Kinder Farm Park, Millersville. rsvp: 410/222-6115.
Bright Bright Lights
Thru Jan. 1 (Dusk-9:30pm)– 450,000 twinkling lights decorate trees, shrubs, buildings and roads to light up a Showcase of Peace.Watkins Regional Park, Upper Marlboro. Donation of canned foods is your admission: 301/699-2456.
Copyright 2000
Bay Weekly
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