My daughter made her first menorah, or hanukiah, this year by gluing small silver nuts, as candleholders, on the inside of an empty Altoid box. Two nuts stacked on top of each other made a place for the shammas candle. Birthday candles just fit. This was an activity at the local Jewish community Hanukkah party.
Since we just started exploring Jewish traditions in our family, we don't have a fancy menorah. The Altoid box is what we put out on the table each night. We don't know all the words to the traditional prayers, so we say what we can remember and make up some impromptu tributes to the light. My daughter thinks of fairies when she thinks of blessing candles, so our Hanukkah prayers have strong echoes of woodland paganism.
I tried making latkes for the first time tonight, on the fourth night of Hanukkah. Achieving the right crispness clearly requires more practice.
Oh, Fairies of Light, forgive us the soggy latkes!
