HAPPY HANUKKAH 2025

Hanukkah doesn’t start until Sunday, but I’d always rather get ahead of a holiday than be late to the party. So here I am, reminding those who celebrate, two days in advance.

I love a happy holiday! And Hanukkah is always just that.

And, not to get political here, but for many this year, it’s made happier by the long-overdue release of the Israeli hostages. (I wrote this two years ago in my Hanukkah article back then: “This year, though, with all the sadness in the world right now, especially the horrors that have taken place in Israel, the occasion has more gravitas than ever.  So I feel that we all need to keep that situation in mind.” And I finished it with, “I feel I need to close this out with the serious side of this holiday. I hope that everyone, whether or not this is your holiday, will please spare a thought for what the many less-fortunate Jewish people are going through this year. I’m praying that the heartbreaking Israeli conflict will be over soon.”)

Just a year ago, all of us were saying prayers that the hostages would be home by the holiday this year, and those prayers were finally answered a couple of months ago.

But it’s not solely happiness on that front. Many of the hostages were killed, and the survivors will have tons of pain forever after. So the world at large needs to keep everyone less fortunate in their hearts and minds.

I’m sorry to have just brought the room down, but I felt that I had to pay that small tribute to my people at this time of year.

Pretty gelt and dreidels.

So back to a more light-hearted celebration of Hanukkah! I’ve been wearing a lot of blue, (which is basically the color of the holiday, as opposed to the green and red of Christmas,) in the lead-up to it, along with rocking my Hanukkah socks! (I’ve never claimed to not be goony!) I’m looking forward to lighting one of my colorful menorahs, although I can’t decide between my crayon box or sports balls ones. (Menorahs are supposed to be fun, so having cute ones is not at all disrespectful or sacrilegious.) And, for once, I already have a full box of Hanukkah candles! That’s a shock because I’m rarely this prepared. I also bought a few bags of “gelt” for Mr. X. (They’re foil-wrapped chocolate coins, of course. But I do hope that he gives me some real gelt, which means “money,” for you readers not of my same ethnic persuasion.)

And that’s about all I have to say about the holiday in this very strange year. But I really do hope that you all have tons of fun—light those candles, spin those dreidels, and scarf those potato latkes! May it all be wonderful for you and yours.

I wish a very Happy Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates. And please do your best to stay safe!