Throwback Thursday – Happy Hanukkah!

December 7, 2023 /

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah! Let’s rewind to 2006, and you can enjoy Maya singing. The video quality isn’t great, it’s 2006 after all.

We’re not Jewish, we just like to celebrate things, and when Maya was little, we wanted to expose her to different cultures. Of course, that confused her, when she was in first grade she told her teacher we were Jewish.

Our celebration consists of a nice dinner with latkes and small gifts the first night, and lighting the menorah every night (if we remember – Ted is pretty good about this.)

Today I’m working 1/2 day, then I’ll start cooking – brisket braised in red wine, latkes (two kinds, potato and sweet potato), and apple sauce. Happy Hanukkah!

21 Comments

  • Beckett @ Birchwood Pie

    December 7, 2023 at 12:07 pm

    Oh man, I want to come over for dinner at your house tonight!

    When I was little my parents used to celebrate Haunukkah for the same reason as you. Not because they are Jewish but because it’s a nice, fun thing to do. I don’t remember when or why they stopped.

  • nance

    December 7, 2023 at 1:26 pm

    All of that (and Maya) sounds great. I could make a meal of simply both kinds of latkes.

    (BTW–blueberries are $3.50 per pint here, and I’m still in Whamageddon.)

    • J

      December 7, 2023 at 1:51 pm

      Nance, thank you for the blueberry update! I’m thankful to say that the price has come down considerably, I think they are closer to $5 a pint here now. And I’m still in for Whamageddon too. I went to 2 grocery stores yesterday and I was scared for a bit, but it they didn’t get me.

  • Daria

    December 8, 2023 at 7:55 am

    HAPPY Hanukkah!! This is just wonderful you exposed maya to different traditions.

    We do this with St. Patrick’s day. We are not Irish (I’m Russian and T is an Italian from Maine lol) but we do corned beef and cabbage, green cookies, an make a lepricon (sp?) trap. The kids love it and so do we.

    • J

      December 9, 2023 at 8:18 am

      I hadn’t heard of a leprechaun trap before, but my sister and her husband had a date one St Patricks Day, and their babysitter had a lot of fun with the kids making one. So clever! We are not fans of corned beef around here, but will sometimes have shepherd’s pie.

  • Lisa's Yarns

    December 8, 2023 at 8:50 am

    What a delightful video! She was such an enthusiastic singer! Our boys have learned about Jewish holidays which is so nice. I grew up in ND and there was NO religious diversity. I didn’t meet a Jewish person until I was working in Colorado between my sophomore and junior years of college. How wild is that? Now my boys learn about the various holidays since we live in a big, diverse city. Taco is learning about it today in school – daycare just posted a photo of circle time and it looks like a mom of one of his classmates is teaching them about the holiday. I love that!! And Paul must be learning about it too because he brought home a dreidl that they made at school!

    • J

      December 9, 2023 at 8:20 am

      I love that they are learning about Hanukkah at school! I’m sure my daughter did too, since she mentioned that we were Jewish in class. Funny. I don’t remember knowing any Jewish people until High School, but it’s entirely possible that I knew several and it just never came up.

    • Meike

      December 9, 2023 at 5:37 pm

      Sounds like it makes for good memories ? I also like Lakes (or like San already mentioned potato pancakes in German). One of the restaurants I walk past has a big operation going for Hanukkah and I was very tempted Friday walking past.

  • San

    December 9, 2023 at 4:39 pm

    That’s so cute that you have the Hanukkah tradition. Latkes – we call them simply German potato pancakes – are my favorite. I had to chuckle that Maya told her teacher that you were Jewish… haha… of course, why wouldn’t she think that? 😉

  • Anne

    December 15, 2023 at 6:34 am

    I wish I could have been there for the latkes. Yum. Do you ever make kugel with your brisket?
    LOVE the video and that you celebrate All The Things. I am not Jewish, but did have a childhood friend whose father was a rabbi. She is now a rabbi, too. 🙂 I would go to different holiday celebrations at their temple and house, but I honestly don’t know that Hanukkah was ever one of them! I know I did several Seders with them over Passover.