My paternal grandmother, Ida Wallace, who kept kosher and attended an Orthodox synagogue said if she could not be Jewish for one day of the year it would be Christmas.
Grandma Ida loved the Jewish holidays and traditions and would never have converted to another religion, but she had a child-like spirit when it came to the lights, decorations, and splendor of Christmas.
When I was growing up in suburban Chicago, my parents had many non-Jewish friends, so the entire family, including Grandma, would head to the ornately decorated Candy Cane Lane, Santa Claus Lane, and Christmas Tree Lane for joyous parties.
We enjoyed the lavish buffet. We always skipped the ham, and my dad would joke that he preferred the corned beef. Grandma was delighted with the decorations and thoughtful gifts that our hosts provided each guest.
It may have been 20 degrees outside, (after all, it was Chicago in the dead of winter), but it was warm and cozy inside, with the children sipping hot cocoa with mounds of marshmallows and the adults enjoying hot cider, probably with a little splash of liquor.
Being the youngest of three daughters, I was spoiled. I received eight presents, a big one for the first night and seven for the rest of the nights of Chanukah. This is a tradition I continued with my son, Adam, who is now 18 years old.
Adam agrees with Grandma about the beauty of Christmas, but he has also embraced his love for Chanukah traditions of family togetherness, and all of the presents.
I don’t remember many of the presents, but I do recall my loving mother, Marilyn, taking a big bowl of potatoes and onions and turning them into mouth-watering latkes – served with sour cream and applesauce.
We relished the holiday foods. I have fond local memories of heading to Attman's Deli, first in Baltimore, and later in Park Potomac for their delicious latkes, corned beef to pile high on their crusty rye bread, and numerous side dishes.
Every Chanukah, my late husband, Harry Forman, would light up like a child seeing their wrapped presents. He started menorah and dreidel collections, and when I light the candles each year, I rotate his many menorahs – some simple and some made of fragile crystal.
I always light two menorahs on each night of his favorite holiday, including the one he made with his own hands at summer camp. It is extremely special to my son and me. The dreidels are all different and beautiful. When I look at them, I see my husband’s eyes growing wide with holiday excitement.
Today, I continue my mother’s tradition, as I have since Adam was a young child. I host a Chanukah open house for our friends and serve my homemade latkes, (made with a food processor instead of a hand-grater), turkey, brisket, fried doughnuts, and half a dozen tasty side dishes. It's something we look forward to every year.
Chanukah, like many Jewish holidays, is about family, prayer, and traditions. So, whether or not you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, or any other holiday during the winter nights, don’t forget to spice it up with family traditions, beloved dishes or desserts from your mom or grandma’s favorite recipes, and bask in the glow of family and friends.
For me, that’s what makes Chanukah special, and what the holidays will always be about!