Rant #3,842: Light Sings

Today, I am going to take a breather from talking about my car accident.

I don't really have anything else to say about it.

You know as much as I do.

I just broke my vow about talking about it, but not having been in an accident like this in a while, it just took over my thought process, and it was difficult for me to write about anything else.

But Hanukkah is coming up in just a couple of days, and that is something to look forward to.

It begins at sundown on Sunday, December 14 and concludes at sundown on Monday, December 22.

My family and I don't go crazy during this holiday as some of our brethren do, and again, Hanukkah is NOT "Jewish Christmas," so there is no reason to treat it as such.

I see plenty of people going overboard, with big blow up contraptions in front of their houses pretty much replicating what people do in front of their houses for Christmas.

Many Jews are putting up decorations like snowmen, "Hanukkah bushes" and the like that have nothing to do with the theme of Hanukkah, which is to salute the Maccabi victory against Jewish oppressors and the candelabra--known as the menorah--which somehow shined bright for eight days even though it only had enough oil for one day, hence the eight-day holiday.

Look, you can celebrate the holiday any way you please, but for me, Hanukkah is not the "Jewish Christmas"--as so many people, evidently including Jews, believe--and putting up such things just perpetuates this false link between Christmas and Hanukkah.

Sorry, there is no such link.

The only things linking the holiday are when they fall out--December 25 for Christmas and usually in December for Hanukkah--and the fact that they are both great holidays.

That's it.

In my house, we have our menorah--an electric one--and some other chotchkas celebrating the holiday here and there--like dreidels--but we don't overload on it, nor on the gifts we get for the family.

There is no need to. Hanukkah is not that type of holiday.

We will say the prayer, light the menorah each of the eight nights, eat potato pancakes--latkes-- and donuts, and that will suffice.

Some people go overboard, but although that is their right, that, to me, is not Hanukkah.

In fact, this year, my family and I are having over some relatives for our own holiday party, and it will be a nice time to get together.

We are also going to another holiday party, at my sister's house.

That is that.

We celebrate Hanukkah our way, you can do it your way if you like.

But snowmen celebrating Hanukkah?

"Hanukkah bushes?"

C'mon, those things and other "goyish" things only perpetuates the "Jewish Christmas" myth.

I sometimes wish that Hanukkah was during a different, earlier month of the year, so the comparisons and the blending would not be there.

But it is what it is, and since this has been a rough year at least for my family--but I bet others had it rough too--I look forward to the holiday as a brief respite from all the negatives, and a chance to look at the positives--

Such as family.

Come to think of it, that is another aspect that Christmas and Hanukkah share, and that is the importance of family in these holiday celebrations.

But that being said, let's keep the holidays separate.

They are great as they are, have nothing to do with each other, and exist as separate entities, and never the twain shall meet.

Cut down that "Hanukkah bush," melt that snowman, and gather around the menorah for each day's candle lighting.

And don't forget to spin the dreidel for some Hanukkah gelt!

Hanukkah is the true holiday of light, and it will once again shine bright this year as it does each and every year.