<p>yay!!! next year it starts on Dec 21st…everybody will be home!!!</p>
<p>Much better date - thanks for letting us know.</p>
<p>For those who like to plan ahead:</p>
<p>Hanukkah starts on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, and lasts for eight days. Here are the coinciding secular dates for the upcoming years:</p>
<p>2010: December 1-9</p>
<p>2011: December 20-28</p>
<p>2012: December 8-16</p>
<p>2013: November 27-December 5</p>
<p>2014: December 16-24</p>
<p>2015: December 6-14</p>
<p>One of these days, I’ll calculate exactly how many calories we consume just in latkes each year. So, so worth it.</p>
<p>Better to light a single candle…as they say. Happy Hanukah (or however you like to spell it.) One of the few things that we collect is dreidels, and we took them out last night. We stopped giving our D a gift each night quite a while ago. She is old enough to pick out her own gift now. </p>
<p>To those of you sending gifts to college, I am sure that the kids really appreciate it. A while ago, while I was going through some papers, I found a card my parents sent me one Hanukah when I was in school eons ago. It was nice to know that they had done that.</p>
<p>Please don’t do that calculation, I do not want to know the answer :-0</p>
<p>Just my hubby and I tonight, but I decided to make a brisket, green beans, and latkes. Well I am being lazy of the latkes; I am using Trader Joe’s frozen potato latkes, my daughter says they are really good. I think my husband was speechless when I told him we were having a brisket; I am not sure I have ever made brisket for less than 8 people before. I am looking forward to the leftovers for the weekend.</p>
<p>I ended up making flank steak last night cause I figured my daughter would prefer it to brisket…so what do you think she says when she sits down??? </p>
<p>“where is the brisket?”…can’t win…</p>
<p>as I posted on another thread, her non-Jewish BF had never had latkes before…so, I made about 2 dozen for the four of us…he ended up eating about a dozen by himself; it was great to watch; for those of you who have boys, girls just don’t eat as much…I’m amazed at what he puts away; I never feel like I make enough…haha</p>
<p>*
2013: November 27-December 5*</p>
<p>Is this the earliest date possible? And when was the last time it was this early?</p>
<p>Speaking for the Verizon Droid users out there, I have just checked and found several free Menorah apps as well–so Happy Hanukkah to all you Droid-ers out there!</p>
<p>I’m the person at our synagogue who sends Hanukkah packages to our college students…sent off 40 of them last Wed. Hope the kids check their mailboxes! :)</p>
<p>Drove home late after spending the day with a loved one having a medical procedure. Non Jewish, as am I. But felt the lack of a lit Menorah in the house, lack of ritual, the recognition of winter and a festival of light. I loved the celebrations with my kids. The Ds, the ex, the friends, the heart provide the connection. One D took our one of our little menorahs to back to school for a house Hanuka party. Nice to come home to this thread and acknowledgment of my feelings. Maybe I’ll light the other little menorah for myself.</p>
<p>GLM: given that Chanukah is a “festival”, you should feel comfortable lighting the menorah for yourself if that’s what you feel you would like to do…enjoy the beauty and splendor of the occasion…</p>
<p>I set up our electric Menorah in the front window and waited until DH got home to light the “real” candles. We did that, sang the blessings and then I said to him, “Well, this is certainly pathetic!” No kids, no presents, no latkes. I spoke with my oldest son who is living in Chicago, and he was absolutely stunned that I hadn’t made latkes. I make them from scratch, I mean really from scratch, like with a box grater, but I decided that DH and I didn’t need the calories. Besides, we are hosting a Chanukah dinner for 12 on Saturday evening and I will be making four different kinds of latkes in addition to brisket and chicken. I have a suspicion that the latkes with “flow freely” after that evening. :)</p>
<p>We are also having a delayed Chanukah celebration with my brother’s family when all the kids get home from college. :D</p>
<p>rockvillemom-I prefer next years dates for the festival! ;)</p>
<p>I’m at college 3000 miles away from my parents. Today when it was evening at home, we Skyped and they lit their candles so I could watch with them. Also, they sent me a package with 8 days worth of presents wrapped separately with numbers on - I opened my present on Skype with them tonight. It was really really nice :)</p>
<p>Dreaming, that is so sweet. Glad you got to share the tradition with your family.</p>
<p>Next year’s Chanukkah celebration dates include our anniversary, my birthday and my side of the family’s celebration of Christmas.</p>
<p>Oy vey.</p>
<p>S2 and DH are gone, S1 is here but is not feeling terribly observant these days. He has disentangled himself from the computer long enough to come light candles with me, though, which I appreciate. It does not feel the same, though, without everyone here.</p>
<p>I can’t recall who posted the Maccabeats link on which thread but, OMG, I cannot stop replaying it! I’ve sent it to all my Jewish friends and family. How uplifting and refreshingly cleancut. If you haven’t heard it yet, enter Candlelight - The Maccabeats :)</p>
<p>worrywart, CNN.com even has an article on it! I posted the link on my FB. I love good, close harmonies.</p>
<p>Only one child home. She feels the “missing” kids. She said it just isn’t the same. We are lighting the menorah but only one. I remember the years when the kids were all home and we had to light all the different menorahs they had made in preschool and sunday school.
The older two forgot it was even Chanukah. We will give them their gifts when we see them in a few weeks.
I will make a big dinner on sunday with brisket and latkes which we will share with a few friends who are not Jewish but who love food.</p>
<p>Here is a bit of the Maccabeats acapella song on the Today show [Today</a> Show Video Player](<a href=“http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/40489224#40489224]Today”>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/40489224#40489224) </p>
<p>Hopefully this link is ok?? Its not youtube-- its NBC news- Today show. Cute takeoff of the “Dynomite” song!</p>
<p>Last year I went to our local CVS in search of Chanukah wrapping paper. There were rows of Christmas decorations, candies, paper-you name it and absolutely nothing Chanukah related. Of note is this CVS is directly across the street from Boston University’s Student Village and in a densely packed residential area. I spoke to the manager and was told this was a corporate decision, there was “no room” and that Chanukah supplies were only at designated CVS stores that year. I was furious and wouldn’t let go, took the issue up to corporate headquarters and encouraged neighbors to do so. Lo and behold, this year there is a tiny Chanukah merchandise display near the entrance!</p>