For our Jewish readers, Dec. 16 marks the beginning of Hanukkah, the festival of lights.
For the next eight days, Jews all over the world will be lighting candles, enjoying wayyyy to much fried food and generally having a great time.
The holiday commemorates the Miracle of the Oil and the triumph of the Maccabees. But it’s also just a great chance to get together with family and enjoy each other’s company.
Here’s our list of the best way for homesteaders to celebrate the holiday:
1-Turn off the TV
I’m pretty sure there’s nothing in the Talmud about enjoying the classic stop-motion animation of Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer (I’m a big fan of the Island of Misfit Toys), but there’s something to be said about declaring at least a brief moratorium on the use of the magic brain eating box for the holiday (or any holiday for that matter. We’re considering a screen-ban during Flag Day even). It’s a lot easier to have those great conversations over meals if you aren’t competing for the family’s attention with Netflix, Hulu, cable and video games.
2-Make your own Menorah
The menorah is the candle holder used to commemorate the religious aspects of the holiday. And while beautiful examples of menorahs abound, there’s something to be said for making your own. You can get the whole family involved too. All the kids (and adults) can put together their own spin on this classic item. And there’s nothing that says homestead more than doing it yourself. Check out these great ideas here.
3-Fry some food
Latkes, or potato pancakes, are a classic dish for Hanukkah. You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy them either, but you might want to invest in a food processor or sucker one of the kids into grating all those potatoes by hand. Here’s a great recipe. Enjoy them with apple sauce, sour cream or jelly!
Ingredients
- 1 pound potatoes
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
Directions
Grate the potatoes. Place the grated potatoes into cold water to prevent discoloration. After grating all the potatoes, drain them then use cheese cloth or a towel to squeeze the moisture out of the grated potatoes. Heat the oil in a skillet on the stove. Mix all the ingredients together and spoon about two tablespoons of the mix into the hot oil. Use a fork or spatula to press the mounds out slightly. Cook about five minutes on each side. Remove them from the oil and put on a draining rack or paper towels. Makes about a dozen latkes.
Tip: Make them fast. Your family will starting eating them as soon as the first batch comes out of the oil.
4-Make your own candles
A big part of Hanukkah is the lighting of the candles. If you really want to get hardcore Homestead, then why not take this chance to make your own. You may not have the time to render fat and make candles that way, but making beeswax candles is a lot less time consuming. Here’s a great tutorial.
4-Listen to Hanukkah music
There aren’t many Hanukkah songs, but thanks to Adam Sandler and the like, Jews get to enjoy the musical aspects of the Holiday season just as much as everyone else.
Here’s our favorite Hanukkah songs:
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