Holiday Meme

Having been tagged not just once but twice with the Meme of the Season, I must thank dear Flea for the wonderful response.

So here are my answers:

1. Latkes or Sufganiyot ?

• Latkes -- for dinner. Can't make a meal out of jelly doughnuts.

2. Multi-colored candles or blue-and-white?

• Multi-colored. Whoever's turn it is to do the candles picks the colors.

3. Do you place the Hanukiah by the window or away from the window?

• Leave it on the kitchen table. The window ledge is a tad too narrow for my fire safety-consciousness.

4. Favorite Holiday Dish?

• Hanukah brisket: a two-day recipe made with onions, apple cider, molasses and fresh rosemary. Cooked on day one, then cooled overnight; sliced and reheated in the juice. A new addition (just a few years now) but an instant favorite.

5. Favorite Holiday Memory? (two part answer)

• Childhood: Because there were four of us growing up, Mom sometimes didn't get around to wrapping all the gifts. So she she took an orange bedsheet and decorated it with appliques of hanukiot, dreidls and Jewish stars. She'd arrange the gifts under the "Hanukkah Cloth" and then usher us into the dining room, situating each of us in front of the appropriate -- tantalizing -- bump in the cloth. Then, depending on her mood, she'd either whip the cloth off all at once (to collected sqeals of delight) or slowly expose one child's gift at a time, stretching out the anticipation deliciously.
• Adult: One year I gave each of my three children identical mini-scooters. As the heir to the Hanukkah Cloth, I set up the three boxes on the dining room table under the cloth and then ushered them in. Then, for as long as I could drag it out, I pretended not to remember whose gift was whose; moving the kids around, sending them out of the room so I could "check" which was which; moving them again and again. It was awesome.

6. One Hanukiah or more than one?

• Now that the kids are bigger and back and forth between divorced parents for the holiday, it depends. Generally just one, but at least once during the holiday we break out the usable ones from the collection (ie, not the impossible to clean, gorgeous artsy ceramic ones) and each person gets to light one. It's best when we have guests. The best part is the competition for who has the last candle going.

7. Do you remember your favorite gift?

• No, but what I do remember with great clarity is the first year I was more excited about the night when it was my turn to give my gifts, rather than anything I was going to receive.

8. Favorite Holiday Dessert?

• Gelt (gold foil-covered chocolate coins)

9. Favorite Holiday Song?

• A doo-wop version of "I Have a Little Dreidl" that we first sang in the synagogue choir about five years ago.

Regarding tagging: I'm not much into this part of the game, so anyone who wants to may consider themselves officially *tagged*.

Happy Holidays, everyone!