Welcome, December-Hanukkah Celebration Here at THD

Today is December- Month of My Birth, Christmas and Hanukkah Holidays. Welcome, December!!  This coming Sunday, December 3, at 4PM I sign up to attend my first Hanukkah Celebration in my almost 89 years here in Planet Earth ( see Flyer Above). THD Staff send me a Christmas Card that I receive this morning, Thank you, THD Staff and Management for your birthday Greetings.  The Birthday Celebrants for December are listed below:

Now with the Hanukkah Celebration:   It will be hosted by a co-resident and loyal reader and commentator of my blogs, Cantor/Rabbi Richard Botton. There will be music accompaniment by Charlie Barreda. Latkes and wines will be served. Looking forward for the event. 

Latkes are type of potato pancake or fritter in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that is traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah. Latkes can be made with ingredients other than potatoes such as cheese, onion, and zucchini.    I am a Roman Catholic, so I am not familiar with Jewish Holidays and Celebration. This event will be my first experience of a Hnukkah Celebration and I eagerly looking forward to attending it.

For those of you who are not familiar with the word Hanukkah, here's a definition from Wikipedia.  

Hanukkah, (Hebrew: “Dedication”) is Jewish festival that begins on Kislev 25 (usually in December, according to the Gregorian calendar) and is celebrated for eight days. Hanukkah reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival. Although not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, Hanukkah came to be widely celebrated and remains one of the most popular Jewish religious observances. The following are the eight traditions during the Festival of Lights during the Eight Days of Hanukkah. Giving of Gifts is similar to the Christian Christmas Celebration of Giving Gifts. 

What is the story of Hanukkah?

Hanukkah is a joyous Jewish holiday that recalls an ancient miracle after a hard-fought victory over religious oppression. The historic event sparked Hanukkah traditions that last to this day.

In the first century B.C.E., Greek rulers banned Judaism. They tortured and persecuted those who dared practice and desecrated the holy Second Temple in Jerusalem, even sacrificing a pig and installing a statue of Zeus inside. A small band of Jewish warriors, led by Judah Maccabee, rebelled. When the battle was won, the Maccabees set out to rededicate the temple, which involved lighting candles on a menorah (a branched candelabra) that would burn continuously. Though they scoured the Second Temple, they found only enough oil to burn for one night. Miraculously, it burned for eight nights, which gave the Maccabees time to find more so they could keep the temple holy.

Today, Hanukkah celebrates that miracle and, by extension, the triumph of light over darkness. Those themes are evident in many of the most beloved Hanukkah traditions and in the giving of Hanukkah gifts.

Eating potato pancakes and jelly donuts

If you accidentally walk into a Jewish kitchen during Hanukkah and you’re likely to inhale the delicious aroma of latkes, aka potato-and-onion pancakes fried in oil. If you’re especially lucky, sufganiyot, or jelly-filled doughnuts, will also be on offer. These decadent Jewish delicacies—along with other fried foods and Hanukkah desserts—symbolize the miracle of the oil. While latkes are more traditional, sufganiyot only became popular in the 20th century, when Israel promoted them as part of the country’s official Hanukkah celebration. Beginning in the 1970s, American Jews began adopting the delicious Hanukkah tradition.

For Complete Details of the 8 Hanukkah Traditions read💥

💥https://www.rd.com/article/hanukkah-traditions/

Meanwhile, Today is also RENT DAY!  Write your Checks and Stay Another Happy Month Here at THD- The Place with many Fun Activities and Good Food! Advance Merry Christmas to All!