Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2021

Tonight is the first night of the eight day Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is observed beginning 3 days before the new moon closest to the winter solstice, at the darkest part of the moon phase and the darkest part of the sun phase.

At the new moon I will move to a new theme focus - from grace to stillness, a perfect theme for this next phase of my life. 

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health, home, holiday, and prepare for Grandson fun. Today I'm also making a few transition-to-stillness plans for the week:

• Clear in-basket and one box of stuff in the office
• A big end-of-year journal brainstorm
• Finish some books (Sweet Spot? Present Moment?) so I can start new books

Agenda:

1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. Advent school plans

3. Fall Order and Home projects

4. Prepare for Hanukkah

5. Make potato latkes

6. Hanukia Ceremony

1. Read "The Sweet Spot":

I'm reading this book by Christine Carter (2015), about "How to Find Your Groove". The thesis is that when we hit from our sweet spot we have optimum power and the greatest ease. Part 4 is Cultivate Relationships, and Chapter 6 is Mending Ruptures, about the day-to-day relationship rifts that cause strain: Tiny things we do that put space between us and our loved ones.

She lists a bunch of "Connection Diseases" like being distracted, busy, disappointed, bored, annoyed, and having unresolved conflicts - and gives advice on how to cure these.

Today I read about annoyance and the antidote - acceptance. She describes herself as a sensitive person who gets her buttons pushed easily. Her coping practice is the one I've recently read about elsewhere: 

1. Feel where I am tensing my body to try to keep the emotion out - the places that the irritation is lodging: My neck and shoulders, my jaw, my chest - and acknowledge and loosen annoyance's hold. 
2. Secondly, I can try thinking about the Need the other person is Needing: (Autonomy? Harmony? Lunch?) and send them compassion. OR I can diagnose my own Need (Autonomy? Harmony? Lunch?) and solve that problem.
3. And finally, it boils down to a change of perspective - accepting the wabi sabi nature of imperfect people and the fleeting nature of life.

This is a big deal for me and what I am calling my Zen Grandma practice, the  fastest and most effective way to feel less irritable and return to calm.

Overall, I've gotten a heck of a lot out of this book, but I'm only halfway through, and it's due at the library. I think I want to review it in January and finish it in the New Year.

2. Advent School plans:

Our fall schedule includes a two-day pre-school, with coloring pages on a different theme each week, related outdoor projects, field trips, and art. I want to focus on nature awareness, process art and basic art skills (drawing, painting, cutting, glueing, etc.).

This week the theme is Family joy:

1. Set up the creche and talk about family
2. Make a gingerbread house and talk about homes.
3. Read new Bluey book about family
4. Write letters to family to mail

3. Fall Order and Home projects:

This month I set an intention to create order and simplicity in my sanctuary, so that everything I keep has a place, all things are honored, and I know what is in each space: Try a daily morning-10-things / aternoon-5-things ritual to help me break a habit of slothfulness (which is really mental overload), because outer order supports inner calm and resilience, and opens the time I need for being Godly. 

My goals this week:

1. Clear in-basket and one box of stuff in the office
2. Completely clear the kitchen table
3. Clear out the junk left in the yard, and find places for it.

And we are trucking right along on our big renovation project. My next steps:

• Take photos of the saws and post them on Craig's list.
• Install steps, railing, and a roof.
• Paint the front of the house, and the bedroom windows.
• Move dirt and finish the mini-patio so I can buy bamboo!
• Design a shower, towel hooks, and screen.

4. Prepare for Hanukkah:

Hanukkah commemorates a miracle that occurred in 142 BCE, when a single vial of oil kept the temple lamp burning for eight days.

An ancient Babylonian Talmud story explains that Adam left Paradise just before the time of the Winter Solstice. He noticed the days getting shorter, was worried, and decided to fast and pray for eight days to try to call back the sun. But when the winter solstice arrived, and he saw the days getting gradually longer, he said, "Such is the way of the world,” and proceeded to observe eight days of festivity.

Today I will clean up my Hanukia (otherwise known as a menorah) and check my supply of candles; we need 44 candles to last each of the 8 nights.

5. Make potato latkes:

It is traditional to eat fried foods on this holiday, because of the significance of the oil in the lamp.

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes1 small onion
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• dash of black pepper
• 1/2 c. oil
• sour cream and applesauce

Yield: About 15 pancakes

1- Peel the potatoes and the onion, and grate them together onto a towel.

2 - Squeeze out as much moisture as possible, then put into the bowl.

3- Beat the eggs and stir them into the potatoes, along with the flour, salt, and black pepper.

4- Heat the oil in a frying pan, and spoon in the batter. Fry the pancakes until crispy on both sides.

5- Drain on paper towels and serve with sour cream and applesauce.

6. Hanukia Ceremony:

 

Hanukkah is another winter festival with the theme of light and darkness, of moving from dark despair to a place of light and hope.

At sunset, I fit one candle into the Hanukia on the far right, plus a shamash (servant) candle in the center.

Then I recite a blessing. Most of the traditional Hanukkah blessings don't seem appropriate for me, being not even a little bit Jewish, so I use the Blessing of Praise (Shehecheyanu), which is for the first night of anything, or any new experience.

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh.

Blessed are You, our God, Sovereign of all, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.

For a nice recording of how to pronounce this blessing in Hebrew, look here, at Interfaith Family.

I light the shamash candle and use it to light the first candle of the menorah. We let these two candles burn all the way down tonight.

We continue the candle lighting for eight nights, adding another candle each night, from right to left. Note, though, that the candles are lit from left to right, because you pay honor to the newer thing first.Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health, home, holiday, and prepare for Grandson fun. Today I'll also make plans for inner peace, generosity, and daily harmony.