A Christmukkah Tradition of sorts

I wish I did a better job on traditions.  My kids really want them, I just can't seem to get my act together. 

We celebrate Hanukkah, which starts Friday night.  The menorahs are out, although not all cleaned, a few decorations are up (actually one I never took down last year), but I haven't bought candles yet, never mind gifts. Everyone loves latkes but that'll have to wait until at least Saturday.  My husband will be in Los Angeles this weekend for his mother's 98th birthday and my older son arrives home from college around 10:30 Friday night.  My younger son will be busy until late Saturday being stage-manager for a production of "A Christmas Carol".

I've gotten specific gift requests from 2 of my 4 kids (a green iPod Nano and an expensive digital camera). Don't know what the other two want, also haven't made any firm decision on the camera. The iPod is ok.  This is one place where the tradition has evolved over the years.  We started out with 8 gifts for Hanukkah- one per night.  They weren't all big, and they weren't all from us. The first night might be gifts from one grandparent, the second night from the other, last night from us, etc..some nights the gifts were little things like dreidels and gelt .  But then we decided that was also too much.  We still spread the gifts out, but there isn't one per night.  I'm happy to say the kids still enjoy lighting the candles and singing songs even when they know there won't be a present to tear open.  This year I'd like to have at least one night where we bring gifts and food to a less fortunate family or some other charitable endeavor and I'm going to try really hard to pull that together in the next couple of days.

The only real Hanukkah tradition I've been able to hang on to is my determination to make sure I hear Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song at least 3 times :-)

Growing up, we often had family Hanukkah parties at my house, but we also enjoyed Christmas at the homes of our friends.  I treasured those celebrations and that continues- we enjoy the visits and parties and for years we celebrated Christmas at our nanny's home.  Until not that many years ago, my kids' very much believed in Santa- they just didn't think he came to our house because we are Jewish- but they believed he was real.

I think that's charming and wonderful.  I do however draw the line at Jewish families bringing Christmas into their homes with trees and stockings.  I'm not talking about families where one parent is Christian- of course Christmas belongs in those homes.  But when both parents are Jewish, I think it's just plain wrong.  I have a few friends who disagree, so I'm used to just keeping my mouth shut around their kids and in their homes of course. 

Whatever it is that you do- Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Have a Good Kwanzaa or best of all,  Festivus for the rest of us!