OUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY

Chanukah is our family's favorite holiday! Eight days of quality family time, presents, candle-lightings, latkes (potato pancakes), and my absolute favorite - sufganyot (jelly doughnuts!). This holiday beckons in the winter season with happiness and light (no pun intended!), and puts a smile on all those celebrating.

First and foremost, Chanukah is a time for family and friends. We always host a low-key Chanukah party for our New York friends - they have become our family here, since both my and my husband's parents live in Israel. Good music, good company, and fun holiday traditions make for a wonderful and celebratory evening. We also always attend several Chanukah parties as a family - the kids love dressing up and going to the parties with us! We were invited to our friends for a fresh "Sfinge" (Moroccan tradition) So delicious!

Next, we light the menorah every evening, to count up the days of the holiday from one to eight. Both of my boys made personal menorahs in school and these are the ones we use to light. There's nothing better than a home-made art project - and one that we can actually use, at that!

Chanukah foods are the tastiest. Latkes, sufganyot, chocolate gelt (money candy) - what could be bad about any of that?! The boys love when I make fresh Latkes, with apple sauce and sour cream on the side. I haven't yet ventured into the land of home-made jelly donuts but purchasing a whole big batch is surely a treat during the holiday!

Of course, you can't have Chanukah without presents! Even a week before the holiday, Yuli is asking about his upcoming Chanukah gifts. Noam and I love purchasing the perfect gifts for our two boys, wrapping them up, and seeing the looks on their little faces when they unwrap their new toys and games. Along with presents are rounds and rounds of the dreidal game, with chocolate gelt as the ultimate, and most delicious, prize.

It's time to get back to the festivities and enjoy the last night of celebrations. Wishing you a wonderful, joyous, delicious holiday season - from the Dekel Family to yours!

Neshikot= XX