Even in this Jewish household, there is a December Dilemma.
See, Mommy grew up only knowing Chinese food and the movies on Christmas and seemingly being pretty much meant being somewhat sheltered from the Christmas madness.
That concept seems pretty impossible raising two kids in 2011. It is just not possible to escape between all of the tv shows for kids with special Christmas editions, ballet classes that dance the Nutcracker, the beautiful lights around town (and the rainbow Christmas tree in the village) or the Santa just walking around the local Whole Foods.
Clara and Emma know that Christmas is coming. They will tell you that "we don't celebrate Christmas, we celebrate Hannukah, but we get to help our cousins celebrate Christmas." If you are a kid, that isn't too bad and a pretty good response for being 4.
But, they also know that Hannukah is coming and are very excited. They can sing you the blessings, tell you that it is eight days long, the Hannukah story about Judah the Macabee and the oil and that they eat potato latkes with applesauce (thank you Jewish preschool). They know they get gifts and have been scouring every single Toys R Us or Target catalog writing their initials next to almost every toy - it is going to be tough come January to tell the kids that it can't go on their Hannukah list!!
So, when they ask to see the lights and Christmas balloons at night- no problem. Mommy and Daddy want to see them too. Trees with lights? Yep, we took the kids to Rockefeller Center in NYC to see the tree and the holiday windows for the past few years now.
And, when it came to meeting Santa Claus- well- it was certainly strange - but they both blurted out to him that "we don't celebrate Christmas. We celebrate Hannukah." And Santa responded, "that's okay, you have a happy holiday." And the Gornstein girls- Emma smiled and gave him another hug and Clara said "I want a batman car." To them, Santa is a guy dressed in a red suit- just like Frosty the Snowman in his costume.
The Gornstein gang is gearing up to celebrate Hannukah here- sending out holiday cards, hanging the Happy Hannukah sign that once hung in Grandma Kathy's house and making cookies and latkes.
Here is to another fun season.
