Happy Harmonica!

December 4, 2007 - 3:00 PM by

It’s really “Hannuka” – not “Harmonica”; I was flashbacking to childhood.

Which, for those who grew up outside of Israel not celebrating Christmas: Remember how being Jewish felt right around this time of year?

Not great, I’m here to remind you. EVERYONE ELSE had blinking lights and baked cookies and yuletide and fireplaces and trees and caroling and parties and egg-nogg and the fat man with gifts and television specials and shopping lists.

You could practically feel the pity oozing from your friends’ non-verbal cues as they asked: “Wait, so you don’t celebrate Christmas?” “No tree?” “No stocking or mistletoe?” “No gifts?”

Luckily, though, we sorta scored cool points on the gifts issue. “Eight nights of presents? Wow! You’re so lucky!”

Most of my friends hadn’t worked out the math: Add up all the bundles underneath the tree, Timmy Jones, and it evens out. You got at least eight.

If it was a year when Hannuka fell way before Christmas – like this year – we also scored points. We were getting our loot while our friends longingly watched their stockpiles grow underneath the tree. They had to be patient and wait while we ripped apart the gift wrap.

As a kid growing up in the U.S., I hated this time of year. I wanted to be like my friends and no amount of chocolate coins or real Hannuka gelt could ease that away.

When I reached adulthood and was free to choose, it somehow didn’t matter anymore. I went to parties, drank the nogg, bought presents for my friends and even checked out midnight mass to see what it was like. But I never celebrated X-Mas myself. It simply “wasn’t me”.

Yesterday, freewheeling in a tee-shirt through Tel Aviv on my 20-speed, I realized that it’s that time of year. I had almost forgotten.

When I moved here, I missed the elaborately decorated storefronts, twinkling lights, canned Christmas music in department stores and elevators and hubbub that comes with the season.

And now I barely notice. I forgot. Because it’s not here. It’s December. And Hannuka. And the start of winter. And there are donuts and chocolate coins in bakeries and supermarkets.

But there are no tacky plastic Santa’s waving from rooftop sleighs.

And I guess that’s cool.

Happy Hannuka, my celebrating brethren.

Tags: • Category: Holidays 

Comments

5 Comments on Happy Harmonica!

  1. Benji on Tue, Dec 4th 2007 3:10 PM

    2. I heard Jingle Bell Rock on the radio yesterday in Jerusalem. Hey, Tom Friedman, the world IS flat.

  2. Gliker on Tue, Dec 4th 2007 6:56 PM

    3. I love Christmas time here in the US. People are more relaxed, friendlier, and work slows down too.
    I was home for Hanukkah last year and won’t be back until Independence day ’08.
    It was awesome to be back home for Hanukkah. And you are right, its just as wonderful.

  3. Liza on Wed, Dec 5th 2007 10:16 AM

    4. I saw a Christmas tree and decorations at Mike’s Place in Tel Aviv last night (and no, I wasn’t actually in there – I walked past it with my family). I miss the Christmas season – the lights, the decorations, the festive holiday vibes combined with the cold weather. I may not have ever really celebrated, but I definitely miss the atmosphere. I’ve even added a Christmas tree (and a menorah) to my Facebook profile, just to get some of that Christmas spirit.

  4. Miss Worldwide on Wed, Dec 5th 2007 10:39 PM

    5. I like Christmas too.

  5. Avi on Thu, Dec 6th 2007 12:05 PM

    6. I saw Elite Chocolate has red booties with candies. I don’t know, Christmas is for the Christian population – which is like 2% of the Israeli population. I mean, let them have Christmas – no problem at all – but it’s not an Israeli holiday. It’s cool and all if places catering to tourists or internationals want to do it but it’s so uncool in the Russian grocery stores and SuperSol in J’lem. Just saying.

    On the other hand, I’m working late on Christmas, so I do miss having Christmas (and New Years!) off.

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