WWLW: Put on your Yarmulke

Today the Merry Mommas have turned the blog over to Melanie! A former colleague and current friend of Merry Momma K! We wanted to take the time to honor another special time of year ... Hannukkah. But since we aren't Jewish, we thought it would be better if we left today's post up to someone that is! Thanks, Mel!!

While the much of the world, and most of the BCS, is getting ready for Christmas, a few of us are celebrating a lesser known minor holiday known as Hanukkah. For those less familiar with the holiday, here's a little background...

(For those of you that need a little Hanukkah 101, check out this post from My Jewish Learning)

This year is especially unique because for the first time since 1888,  Thanksgiving and Hanukkah coincide and thus creating a holiday fusion of epic proportions. Here’s a nugget of wisdom from one of my favorite Rabbi’s, Matt Rosenberg, the Director of the Texas A&M Hillel Foundation, “I like to think of Thanksgiving as a profoundly Jewish holiday since it involves giving thanks and gratitude to G-d (and the word for turkey in Hebrew is Hodu, which also means thanks!)  And with the holiday of Hanukkah, we are celebrating religious freedom for everyone, much like the pilgrims were celebrating upon their arrival on this continent.”

Like Thanksgiving, it gives us a chance to express our love, thanks, and gratitude for the blessings in our life as well as spend time with our loved ones. The Hanukkah tradition, like Judaism as a whole, has evolved and is celebrated in various ways, but regardless of whether you light the candles every night or not, it’s a time to reflect on where we have been, where we are going, how we can collectively best perform the mitzvah (good deed) of tikkun olam (repairing the world), and your personal relationship with G-d.

So, here's to all of my fellow Jews and honorary hebrews. Happy Hanukkah and many more from the Krugel clan. May the warmth and glow of each candle you light make your heart and home happy and your Hanukkah bright it’s the Festival of Lights! Shalom - Peace to you at Hanukkah and always. 

Now, in the spirit of the Merry Mommas... a little card delightfulness. 

We had planned on sending out tacky Hanukkah cards this year however due to family illness and well, Hanukkah being in November, we ran out of time. However here’s my formula for a Hanukkah-rific holiday card:

·       1 Part adorable puppy:

·       1 Ridiculously tacky, yet amazing, Hanukkah puppy sweater

·       Lots of shiny Hanukkah wrapped oversized boxes to use as a background

·       A few fabulous sweaters for the doting Mom and Dad

    

·       An awesome photographer and Voila!

Since we don’t have any kiddos quite yet, any future cards will definitely be featuring our furry munchkin!

For more musings from Melanie... check out her awesome blog: Dreaming in Cubish.