Skip to main content

Our Hanukkah/Christmas Celebration

We started celebrating Hanukkah about 5 days ago.  We are lighting our 5th candle tonight.  Our children look forward to our Hanukkah celebration.  In a previous post, I guess a couple years ago, I shared what we actually do during our celebration.  We don't follow the actual dates of the Hebrew calendar and we always start celebrations 8 days before Christmas--Christmas Day being the 8th day.   It is like Hanukkah with a twist.  

Our children do not believe in Santa Claus, but we don't totally kick Santa out of our home.  To us, he is like another Character.  We still sing the traditional songs and such.  We also go down to the mall on Christmas Eve and take a picture with this old time Character.  Just as many of you might go down and take one with Mickey Mouse or Cinderella in Disney World.  We have fun with it. 

(Big brother Justin opening up his gift)

My husband created a character for Hanukkah named Hanukkah Harry.  Again, I think I shared this in a previous post so if you want to read older posts on this go ahead and search in the archives. 

 
(Tsavah lighting the second night of Hanukkah candles)

Hanukkah Harry (who happens to be dressed in a Santa costume) comes every night of Hanukkah (our Hanukkah time frame) and teaches the children about Hanukkah and how the Lord kept the light on the candles burning for those Eight days.  We incorporate Christ (The Messiah) into the Light burning and The Lord's Providence for our needs.   One of the Children gets to light one candle each of those nights.  At the end of the teaching Donnie passes out a gift to each one of the children.  They wait expectantly all day for these surprises.  They all know it is Daddy.  Our two year old is still not sure, even though we tell him it is his daddy.  It is funny to watch.  

  
(We went bowling the first night of Hanukkah--the kids had a blast!!  First time for most of them)


( The little boys opening up their 3rd night of Gifts)

I really enjoy this way of giving gifts much better then one big bang on Christmas day. 

1.  Less mess to clean up
2.  The children get to enjoy that one gift for a whole day.  You know how it was when you were 
     a child, and on Christmas day you were so overwhelmed with all the toys you got, you don't 
     know what you received and what to play with.  I think this can be overwhelming to the 
    Children. 
3.  The excitement of each day of our celebration.  It is a lot of fun. 

Enjoy this time with your Families, and make up your own little traditions that your children will remember for their entire lives.  

Blessings



Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Dana
December 24, 2008 at 11:37 PM
Unknown said…
I love your profile picture! It is cute...love you pregnant :). (I'm sure you are about ready not to be, though--then it will be my turn, maybe.)

Your husband sounds like a lot of fun...Harry, tee hee!
December 31, 2008 at 3:48 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Joyful Mother wasn't very Joyful....

A short little post to let you know I AM OK!!  I know the last post was rather hopeless than hopeful.   I am doing much better and I do feel like there has been a bit of a breakthrough in my attitude.  I have been letting every little thing on this journey bother me so very much.  It doesn't matter what it wass....it was bothering me.  I was even snappy to my mother-in-law the other day and it wasn't very pretty or Christ Like at all!!  :(    I am so very thankful my mom-in-law loves me unconditionally and embraces me even when I am ugly.  Seriously!  I was letting everything bother me!!  I had been making myself out to be a burden or a "visitor" rather than a daughter.  I wasn't allowing myself to be accepted rather I was making myself out to be a burden.  A burden that no one had put on me.  I did this to myself by listening to the enemy's lies.  After a good talk with my mom-in-law and with the Lord, ...
10 comments
Read more

What Makes us Better Mothers? How do we View others?

What makes us better mothers? Do you homeschool or send your kids to school? Do you cloth diaper, use disposables or both? Do you breastfeed, bottle feed or both? Do you home birth, hospital birth or done both? Do you natural birth, use epidurals, or done both? Do you cook with whole foods or open up a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese? Do you home church or are a member of mega church? Do you wear a head covering, long skirts or have short hair and wear trendy clothes? Do you do attachment parenting or let your babies cry to sleep? Do you have 2 children or 20? Do you use birth control or not? Do you live on your own land/farm or do you live in a small apartment? Do you work or stay home with the kids? Do you immunize or never dare to inject your child? I am going to be very transparent and open with you all. I don't know if it's just hormones but what I have swimming in my heart and mind lately needs to come out. So this is the case for my posting this side of me. I know we can ...
12 comments
Read more

Turn that TV off!!

Finding time to blog has been a little tough lately.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's because I feel I don't have anything good to share but then again that would be totally out of character for me because I am one of those women who can talk your ear off for hours and share with you my life story.  Truly!  So.....not having anything to say is just a big excuse.....ok so maybe it is finding the time.  As of late, I've been really, really striving to do the best I can in being a good steward over my time, children, and homemaking.  My heart's desire is to have an orderly home, orderly children, and a peaceful atmosphere. There are those days where I dream of being in a place where life is a bit simple....where I don't have modern technology like computers, tv, game systems trying to grab the attention of my children.  I don't know why this is so easy to "default" to when a "break" is needed or when I need some "alone time" or j...
7 comments
Read more