December 8 -- Hanukkah Day Three: Music

For each holiday we are celebrating this December, I tried to find at least one song on Spotify to add to a playlist. Surprisingly, even the weirder holidays have songs about them, including Festivus, Humbug Day, and Decemberween.

(My favorite for Krampusnacht was "Stille Nacht" by Krankheit, although "Krampus Carol" by Jon Lajoie was a close second.)

A link to our holidays playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/user/1237104361/playlist/0cB7s367ecyPPlL4uZ6H9h

Hanukkah is in a league all it's own when it comes to holiday songs. I think everyone knows Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song" and it's updates throughout the years. I was excited that he had a brand new one for 2015. But there is so much more tradition to the music of Hanukkah. Sandler is a funny guy, but he doesn't touch on the spirit and feeling behind this holiday music.

Often the traditional music includes minor chords played with accordions and piano. At times lamenting, almost mournful music, it sometimes sounds like Saint Louis blues. These songs typically tell the story of Maccabees or the history of Jewish heritage. Other more festive songs, upbeat and cheerful, are popular among children and sung while playing games or cooking.

Check our our holidays playlist on Spotify.

The Blessings 
As we light the menorah, we sing the blessings. See our first Hanukkah post for the words to the blessings. The singing the blessings is a very old tradition. Afterward, we chant or sing Hanerot Halalu.

Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages)
Written in the 13th century, Maoz Tzur has been translated into the widely known English version "Rock of Ages". A Jewish liturgical poem written in Hebrew, it pertains to five events of Jewish history and the hope for the future, but only the first and fifth stanza directly pertain to Hanukkah.

Chanukah, Oh Chanukah
This will be the one forever stuck in your head during the eight nights of Hanukkah once you've learned it. I personally favor the Barenaked Ladies version. All of their Hanukkah songs are great. In fact, their whole holiday album is worth the purchase. This one sings about all the traditions of the holiday, from lighting the menorah, to dancing the horah and from playing dreidel, to eating latkes.

I Have a Little Dreidel
A fun song to teach the children, this basic little rhyme is a festive companion to the holiday game. Hear it featured briefly in the wonderful a capella group Straight No Chaser's song "The 12 Days of Christmas" from their album Christmas Cheers (though comically dismissed -- "Twelve Days of Christmas, not Eight Days of Hanukkah, it's a Christmas medley" one of them says before they segue into a Christmas version of Toto's "Africa"). Their song is easily one of the best of the season. If you can't stand the original 12 days song, learn their version because you will never hear it the same again.

Light One Candle
By Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, & Mary, this non-traditional but beautiful song celebrates the story of Maccabees and the oil lamp, the reason we light the menorah each night, and encourages the Jewish people to remember their heritage.

Candlelight
The Maccabeats are an all-male a capella group from Yeshiva University. In 2010, they introduced the world to their Hanukkah parody of Taio Cruz's "Dynamite". Their newest one for 2015, called "Latke Recipe", is sung to the tune of "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon.

One thing I will definitely take away from this holiday is that the Jews have a terrific sense of humor. Many songs are fun and festive and sometimes even poke fun at themselves. But I also enjoy the more contemplative songs, such as those from The New York City Chanukah Ensemble, which seem to highlight the more somber tone of the history and fight of the Jewish people.

December 7 -- Hanukkah Day Two: Dreidel

Most people have heard of the popular Dreidel game played during Hanukkah, but if you were wondering about how to play or the history behind it, keep reading.

It's hard to spin on carpet.

The Dreidel is a spinning top made of clay or wood. Some children make their own Dreidel during the holiday. From the Yiddish word drey which means "to spin", the Dreidel is four sided with a Hebrew letter on each side. The letters stand for words which make the phrase Nes Gadol Haya Sham, which means "A great miracle happened there." 

It's worth noting that in Israel, the fourth letter on the Dreidel is Pei which stands for the word Poh meaning "here" -- "A great miracle happened here."

Players begin the game with an equal number of coins, raisins, nuts, candies, or gelt (chocolate coins given to reward children during Hanukkah). At the beginning of each round, everyone puts a coin in the center "pot" -- an ante. Then everyone takes turns spinning the Dreidel once. 

Gimel = "Gimme!!"

נ Nun = player does nothing

ג Gimel = player gets everything in the pot

ה  Hay = player wins half the pot

ש Shin or פ Pei = player puts one in the pot

Often children will shout, "Shin, shin, put one in!"

Stop what you're doing right now and open Google. Type "Dreidel game" in the search bar and play a quick game with Google.

 The Dreidel is a variant on a popular European gambling toy called teetotum. On the teetotum piece the letters are A, D, N, T which stand for the Latin instructions. 

We bought our Dreidel at Party City. It has been fun playing by the light of the menorah, even if we didn't quite have the rules memorized and sort of made up our own at first. This game is one where the more the merrier; two people isn't nearly as fun. But the cat likes to play too and he will spin the top with his paw or stop it when we've spun it for him. 

Sore loser: When he doesn't win, Osiris carries the Dreidel off and hides it under a rug.

December 6 -- Hanukkah Day One -- Lights

Because Hanukkah is an extended holiday -- eight crazy nights after all -- I will break this explanation up to discuss eight different aspects of celebration.

Festival of Lights
Most non-Jewish people know that Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, celebrated with the lighting of candles in a menorah and often associated with the dreidle game. But few know about the reason we celebrate the lights. Based on the story from the Apocrypha books -- Maccabees I & II -- Syrian officials desecrated the Holy Temple and outlawed public celebrations of Jewish holidays as they tried to replace the Jewish God with their Greek idols. Jews had two options: conversion or death. Though outnumbered, Judah Maccabees led a revolt against the Syrians and miraculously won two heroic battles. Hanukkah translates to "dedication". It is a reminder to Jews to rededicate themselves to their religion and rise up against those who would try to destroy it. Though the books of Maccabees made no mention of the story of the oil lamp that has become so closely associated with Hanukkah, the holiday was originally intended to parallel the eight day long festival of Sukkot, in which Israelites were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple. Centuries later the oil lamp story appeared in the Talmud. The legend goes that after Maccabees reclaimed the Temple from the Greeks, he immediately relit the ner tamid (eternal light) -- a candle that is still paralleled in synagogues to this day. But there was only one jar of oil, enough to last only one night. They sent a messenger for more oil, but it would be an eight day journey. Miraculously, the single jar of oil continued to burn until the messenger returned with more oil. It is this miracle that we celebrate during the eight days of Hanukkah.

The menorah, a candelabra holding nine candles, is meant to represent the eight days that the oil burned. The middle candle is called the Shamash. It is a utilitarian candle that sits a bit higher than the others and is used to illuminate and to light the other candles. It is preferred that one use olive oil and a cotton wick, but nowadays even electronic menorahs are a popular way to display one's faith. There are two preferred placements for a menorah: either in a window where passersby can see or in the doorway opposite the mezuzah -- a parchment scroll, containing portions of the Shema, fixed to the doorpost of a Jewish home. Menorah candles must burn for thirty minutes. Some light theirs just after sundown, while others wait until the first stars appear in the sky, but the ritual can be postponed if waiting for a family member who wants to be present during the lighting, as long as it is lit at least a half-hour before dawn. Light the Shamash and use it to light the candles, one for each night.

Because I had to work the first night of Hanukkah, I was unable to be present for the first night's lighting. My husband discovered quickly that it was unwise to leave all the candles in the menorah while lighting only the Shamash and the first night's, as the heat from them started to melt the other candles. He was able to remove the unlit ones before much damage was done.

If it looks like they are all lit, it's because they might kind of all be melting. Whoops!

We found on the third night that we had been placing them incorrectly on the menorah-- they are to be added from right to left, but lit from left to right. We turned the menorah around to correct our error. Rookie mistakes. I wonder if all new Jews make this mistake. Maybe only the converts. I suppose most have elders who teach them the proper rituals from an early age. My husband* felt really bad about his blunders and asked, "Am I a bad Jew for not realizing these things?" I told him, "I think you are probably a good Jew for feeling guilty about it." A little Semitic humor.

Where is that mirror-flip option on the editing?

We were disappointed at the Hanukkah selection in most stores. We went to Party City, Walmart, Hallmark, Hobby Lobby, Christmas Tree Shoppes, and Michael's, before finally finding a suitable menorah at Target in their tiny Hanukkah display. Some stores had no Hanukkah supplies at all, some only the bare minimum. We got our geld and dreidle from Party City -- more on the games later.

We found great Hanukkah candles at Christmas Tree Shoppes. The package comes with 45 beeswax candles, exactly enough for each day. (Which meant no room for error on that first day when the others began to melt!) The candles are meant to burn for just over a half-hour. When I timed it on the second night, they burned for about 45 minutes.

Osiris, our cat, likes the pretty lights.

On the first night of lighting, we say the following blessing, but only on this night:
"Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh," which means, "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season."

Then, each night as we light the Shamash, we say:
"Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tsivanu l'hadlik ner shel Hanukkah," which means, "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the Hanukkah lights."

And as we light the subsequent lights for each night, we say:
"Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim laavoteinu v'imoteinu bayamim hahaeim baz'man hazeh," which means, "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season."

And while the lights burn, we sing songs like Hanerot Halalu or Hava Nagila, dance the horah, and play games like dreidle. More on the music later.

(*Husband is born and raised Lutheran Christian, not Jewish at all, though he is enjoying learning about their religion and history.)

December 5 -- Krampusnacht

It's hard to pick a favorite of all the holidays we will be celebrating this month, but Krampusnacht has got to be in the running for first place. Based on the German-speaking Alpine folklore of a horned beast who shows up the night before Saint Nicholas day to punish all the children who have misbehaved, Krampus is portrayed as a frightening devil-beast that looks somewhat like a man-goat with horns, a creepy long tongue, and one human foot, one hoof. Considered by some to be the shadow of Saint Nick, who rewards good kids with treats and gifts, at his most merciful Krampus leaves the naughty children lumps of coal. But the really misbehaved kids will earn an all expense paid trip to hell in his burlap sack or wicker basket that he carries on his back, possibly after receiving a lashing from his willow switch.

Move over Elf on the Shelf. Krampus is way more effective at scaring children straight. Tattle on you to Santa? Please. How about I cart you off to hell?!

Some communities celebrate Krampusnacht with a wild run throughout the town, called Krampuslauf. Celebrants dress as the wicked beast and perhaps enjoy a traditional Krampus schnapps, a strong distilled fruit brandy. The female counterpart to Krampus, called perchten, is actually based on wild pagan spirits of German folklore more commonly associated with the period of time between the winter solstice and January 6. 

A quick Google search for Krampuskarten

Another way to celebrate is by sending Krampuskarten instead of Christmas cards, a holiday tradition dating back to the 1800s. Introduced with the greeting "Gruss vom Krampus", the cards usually feature a humorous poem or rhyme.
In most of them, Krampus is pictured looming menacingly over children, threatening them with his chains and switch, or alternatively with the children peeking out of the sack on his back. In some, there is a sexual overtone, with Krampus pursuing buxom women. Older style cards will have a scarier looking figure, while some of the new ones feature a cuter, more comical version of the beast. 

We can't talk about Krampusnacht without mentioning the new movie "Krampus". We saw it on opening night, December 3. Starring comedy actors Adam Scott, David Koechner, and Conchata Ferrell, we didn't quite know what to expect. Judging from the trailers, I thought it would be a creepy, atmospheric piece introducing the scary legend to the masses. I was wrong. I found myself laughing, eyes wide, and asking myself, "Did that really just happen?" If you go into it thinking "Gremlins", you will leave satisfied. The comedy actors weren't even the funniest parts so much as the weird antagonists were. I was a little disappointed at first because so few people know about Krampusnacht and it's a shame because it is such a fun and strange holiday, so I wanted a serious and accurate portrayal of the traditional folklore story. But, when I think about it, that movie was hysterical and as my husband said, "It is bound to be a cult classic by next year." I think he's right. The best part was: just when you think the writers are going to "jump the shark", they pull the rug out from under you like, "Nope!" and you're left clapping in maniacal glee if you're a sick, messed up person like us.

At any rate, you can celebrate Krampus in your house by telling your kids frightening stories about the devil-beast and how he punishes bad children. Instead of threatening to tell Santa when they are misbehaving, you can threaten to tell Krampus -- way scarier! Fashion a pair of goat-like horns out of papier-mache, throw a burlap sack over your back, drape a chain over your arms, and grab some willow switches, then chase the children of your neighborhood around menacingly. 

It was a perfectly creepy Krampusnacht where we live, with the fog creeping in and freezing ice crystals onto the Rudolph antlers and nose on my car. At one point, as I was driving home from my late shift at work, I thought there had been a power outage in town because the fog was so thick it was blocking all light, even from the stoplights, until I was merely yards away. 

Our neighbor's house through the fog as I stopped at a stop sign driving home. 

We celebrated by threatening our cat, Osiris, who likes to knock the stockings off the wall (sometimes leaving his own hanging, the little bugger). At first he thought his dad was just joking and just laid on the ledge but when he realized he wasn't, he was like, "Aw heck no," and walked away. (No animals were harmed in the making of this photo. He wasn't even really scared, just irritated, which is his normal mental state anyway.)

You can see the pile of stockings at the bottom of the stairs in the top-left. 

If you have celebrated Krampusnacht before, we would love to hear about it in the comments below. Or if you plan to celebrate it next year, or even have a belated celebration this year, let us know what you are planning. 

A Multicultural Celebration

This holiday season, in addition to our traditional Christmas celebration, my husband and I will be learning about a variety of holidays from other religions and secularist groups. We hope to honor the various cultures and broaden our horizons by opening our minds and home to these different festivities.

The idea for an Omnist December came to me a couple years ago, but every time the season comes around, things get so hectic that I forget to plan it out. Well, not this year. I have done some research and am prepared for each holiday we've put on our calendar. I'd like to say we are celebrating ALL holidays in December, but that is simply impossible as so many fall on the same day and some are similar in a lot of ways. However, we have devoted time to learning about each holiday and believe we have chosen ones that demonstrate a level of multiculturalism that can be visibly portrayed in a festive way in our house, while still keeping the true meaning of the holiday sesason alive. To be clear, we do not intend to appropriate these holidays. This is not an Anglo-Saxon celebrating Cinco de Mayo with tequila shots. This is not a WASP dressing in a Native American costume for Halloween. Neither is it a "war on Christmas". My husband is Lutheran and we try to follow the teachings of Jesus. This December is to show that we can all celebrate in our own ways. Nearly every holiday has the same basic principles: joy, family, friends, love, peace, giving, gratitude, and good food.

Our various, though incomplete holiday displays, clockwise from top left: Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, Festivus, Krampusnacht, Milad un nabi, Hannukah, Our Lady of Guadalupe, FSMas, Satanist Starbucks cup, and Decemberween.

My mother likes to call herself an "Omnist". Like Fox Mulder, she wants to believe. Her philosophy is that anything is possible and if there is no evidence for any of them, why not believe that they all are true? After all, most religions are so similar in their core beliefs anyway. I love this philosophy. I myself think the same argument could be made for atheism, but I find her belief system much more optimistic. And the world needs more positivity.

This is a joyous time of year to celebrate with the ones that we love. No matter how you choose to enjoy this season, I hope you will find our posts interesting, enlightening, and hopefully uplifting. Join us as we celebrate. We will post blogs detailing our experiences so tune in for updates on each holiday!

December 5: Krampusnacht
December 4-15: Hanukkah
December 8: Bodhi Day
December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 13: FSMas (Pastafarian Holiday)
December 21: Humbug Day
December 22: Blue Christmas / Yule
December 23: Festivus
December 24: Milad un nabi
December 25: Decemberween / Christmas
December 26-January 1: Kwanzaa
December 31: First Foot / New Years Eve