Happy Hanukkah

I'm not at all religious, but we celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas in my home, and this year the two overlap. Hanukkah begins tomorrow at sunset and lasts for eight days.

Happy Hanukkah Menorah print, Etsy

Our celebration is intimate and low key, following some traditions of my childhood and some that we've adopted more recently. I pull out my dreidel plates and salt and pepper shaker set and fry up apple fritters and latkes, which are served with apple sauce and sour cream. They're easy but time-consuming to make, and well worth the effort. (We eat that just one night—my jeans wouldn't fit if we ate like that all eight nights!)

And, of course, we light the menorah. I have lovely modern one that I bought for myself, as well as a more traditional one that I bought for (and inherited from) my father. We usually attend the annual community menorah lighting—this year it's on Christmas Day.

It all makes me nostalgic for my childhood. It's nice to be able to relive those times and share them with my new family.

Whatever you celebrate, I wish you all the best.