CHANUKAH BACK IN THE DAY…

We grew up in a large family- five kids, one dog, and two parents. On top of that, our house was everyone’s drop in house. We never knew how many people would actually show up at the dinner table. If you were in our house and the call to the table came, you were not allowed to leave; you joined us at the table.

At chanukah time, especially in good apple harvest years (we had a small orchard, with every third year bearing a bumper crop), we had tons of apple sauce for our latkes, baked apples, stuffed baked apples, apple compote and liver fried (after broiling quickly) with apples and onions. One year we had a stuffed breast of veal that also featured apples in the stuffing. Our neighbor had a chestnut tree, so they also played a large part in our Chanukah meals.

We played dreidyl for pennies. We sang songs after we lit the candles. We got gifts. Of course, gifts were often things we needed versus things we wanted. Underwear, socks, shirts and pants were biggies. One year we got figure skates and we were in gift heaven!

We had a large parcel of land that was bordered by a stream which fed into a cove. We would sit on a log, tie on our skates and skate all day on the cove. As it grew dark, we could hear everyone’s mothers calling them home for dinner and candles. By the way, if your mom called you by only your first name, you knew you had time. If she called you by your first, middle and last name, you were out of time.

Our house smelled of oil, potatoes, and onions for the entire eight days of the holiday. To this day, we can not make latkes at home- we buy them and spare ourselves of that smell!!

Because our parents were big on “giving back,” we went to the Veterans’ hospital and sang Chanukah songs for the soldiers there. To this day, it remains a very precious memory. We gave out candy bars and spent time at each bed side.

One day of the holiday was the penny grab. A large bowl of pennies sat on the table and we got as many pennies as we could grab. Of course, as we grew older and our hands got bigger, we got more and more loot. However, a big rule was that we had to put something (our choice as to amount) in the “blue box (JNF)” that sat on the counter in the kitchen.

As for today? Well, let’s just say it ain’t the same. Then again, nothing ever is. Chag Chanukah Sameach!