Happy Merry 2022

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas! This season we get to celebrate both holidays, with the last day of Hanukkah culminating on Christmas Day Eve. It’s truly a celebration of light, whether you’re lighting candles on your menorah for 8 nights or stringing lights on your Christmas tree (or trees!) and adorning the outside of your house.

I love seeing how people decorate their homes for the holidays. I have seen huge homes with 20 foot trees replete with life size nutcrackers descending the staircase, to a humble home that has an antique menorah by the family’s front window.

Since I’m Jewish I don’t have a Christmas tree-yet I do like draping little lights on the tall plants by my front door. I have a few poinsettias (try Armstrong’s Nursery-they have fabulous colors and they are on sale right now!), and some large white lillies. When they bloom they smell heavenly.

I am so grateful no one in my family has the flu or Covid so I don’t have to quarantine in a different location like last year— but I still need to limit my exposure with extended family and friends. I may have to cancel plans and stay home.

But still, I am blessed. I have 15 wrapped gifts for 15 great nieces and nephews that will be dropped off in a few days. I had 5 people helping me at the toy store (big shout out to The Dinosaur Farm in South Pasadena!). One person led me around the store to choose the perfect gift for the correct age and gender with four people wrapping the gifts.

Plus I adopted a single mom and her two-year-old son for the holidays. Even on my sad days I think how excited they’ll be to open up their presents and restart their life with hope and connection to a supportive community.

Unless you have a specific list of gifts to buy-gift giving is an acquired skill. I try to think of what the other person would like, not myself. Vegan cookbook? He is on a special diet. Decorative Christmas kitchen towels? Sure. Citrus perfume spray and not a vanilla musk scent? It’s what she likes the best.

Anyway, Happiest of Holidays! Enjoy your large or small tree, electric or candle lit menorah, your vegan feast, potato latkes or a cooked ham and remember that life is precious and there is so much to celebrate.