Hanukkah - Eighth Night

This Hanukkah series was originally posted for Hanukkah 2009

by my friend and fellow Fiesta collector Saarin.

*******************

Please welcome our guest blogger Saarin, my friend and fellow dish collector to The Little Round Table for a celebration of the "Festival of Lights" Dec 11-18. Leave comments for Saarin here on The Little Round Table, she'll be checking in as the posts come online each day through next Friday.

On the eighth and last night of Hanukkah, all the candles in the menorah are glowing, shedding a warm and wonderful light. In this pair of photos, a Fiesta heather 70th anniversary commemorative presentation bowl (filled with California “cuties”) is flanked by the Noah's Ark menorah and another made from glass penguins.

This 1994 photo of our son shows him lighting the menorah he described in his introduction…it was made by his father out of an old showerhead and a stick, covered with Fimo clay!

It’s a Fiesta Hanukkah! For my eighth night table I’ve chosen a mostly contemporary setting. The decalled white Fiesta luncheon plate and mug ( exclusive to dinnerwarepresale.com ) join a post-86 cobalt Fiesta dinner plate, and the striped placemat is a Fiesta licensed accessory from JC Penney. The napkin (Target) and flatware are also modern. Only the glassware is vintage in this table setting, but unfortunately I don’t know the manufacturers. The banded, pilsner-shaped glass probably dates from the 1930s. The wine glass is vintage also, but I haven’t been able to find any photographic references (even in Candy’s impressive collection of vintage glassware advertisements!) A contemporary shoe menorah adds a whimsical touch. The Hanukkah ornament on a white Fiesta blank was specially made for me by one of my dear Fiesta friends.

When neighbors gather for our annual Hanukkah party, some guests bring their own menorahs and we light them all together. As you can see, menorahs come in all shapes and sizes, and a tableful of them with all their candles lit makes quite a spectacle! Of course in my house there’s always at least one piece of Fiesta on the table…a turquoise Fiesta Millennium II vase makes an appearance in more than one of these party photos!

Finally, I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to Candy for giving me the opportunity to share my home with you and bring a few of my family’s Hanukkah traditions into your homes. Happy holidays to everyone!

Saarin

Happy Hanukkah

Hanukkah - Seventh Night

This Hanukkah series was originally posted for Hanukkah 2009 by my friend and fellow Fiesta collector Saarin.

*******************

Please welcome our guest blogger Saarin, my friend and fellow dish collector to The Little Round Table for a celebration of the "Festival of Lights" Dec 11-18. Leave comments for Saarin here on The Little Round Table, she'll be checking in as the posts come online each day through next Friday.

Jewish holidays begin at sundown the night before the official first day of the holiday. We like to wait until it's completely dark outside before lighting the Hanukkah candles, but sometimes I just can't wait!

Both vintage and post-86 carafes can be seen in this photo. The turquoise one on the left is vintage; the sapphire one dates from around 1996 and was a limited-edition color exclusive to Bloomingdale's that is now quite collectible. As you can see, the design is slightly different.

Hanukkah - Sixth Night

This Hanukkah series was originally posted for Hanukkah 2009

by my friend and fellow Fiesta collector Saarin.

*******************

Please welcome our guest blogger Saarin, my friend and fellow dish collector to The Little Round Table for a celebration of the "Festival of Lights" Dec 11-18. Leave comments for Saarin here on The Little Round Table, she'll be checking in as the posts come online each day through next Friday.

Hanukkah is celebrated at the same time every year, the 25th of Kislev, which is the ninth month on the Jewish calendar. The Jewish (lunar) calendar is slightly different from the civil (solar) calendar used by most of the world today, so the beginning of Hanukkah falls on a different day each year. The sixth night of Hanukkah happened to fall on Christmas Eve in 2001, when this photo was taken.

Hanukkah - Fifth Night

Originally posted for Hanukkah 2009

****************

Please welcome our guest blogger Saarin, my friend and fellow dish collector to The Little Round Table for a celebration of the "Festival of Lights" Dec 11-18. Leave comments for Saarin here on The Little Round Table, she'll be checking in as the posts come online each day through next Friday.

 

One of the highlights of our neighborhood Hanukkah parties is the lighting of the menorahs. No flash was needed to capture this glowing moment.

Another traditional food of Hanukkah are "sufganyot" otherwise known as doughnuts!

Hanukkah - Fourth Night

This Hanukkah series was originally posted for Hanukkah 2009

by my friend and fellow Fiesta collector Saarin.

*******************

Please welcome our guest blogger Saarin, my friend and fellow dish collector to The Little Round Table for a celebration of the "Festival of Lights" Dec 11-18. Leave comments for Saarin here on The Little Round Table, she'll be checking in as the posts come online each day through next Friday.





Back in 2000, Noah's aunt came to visit from afar, and brought her own travelling menorah! (It's the tiny one in front.)

My sister and I have always enjoyed singing the blessings over the candles, and harmonizing on the traditional Hanukkah songs, like "Mi Yimalel". This song speaks to the theme of remembering that is so important to the holiday.

"Who can retell
The things that befell us,
Who can count them?
In every age
A hero or sage
Arose to our aid."

Hanukkah - Third Night

This Hanukkah series was originally posted for Hanukkah 2009

by my friend and fellow Fiesta collector Saarin

*************************

Please welcome our guest blogger Saarin, my friend and fellow dish collector to The Little Round Table for a celebration of the "Festival of Lights". Leave comments for Saarin here on The Little Round Table, she'll be checking in as the posts come online each day through next Friday.

This vintage 12" ivory vase is one of the real prizes of my collection, but I think that the carafe is my most favorite piece in the vintage Fiesta line. I love shoes almost as much as dishes, so this menorah was a delightful find!

Hanukkah - Second Night

This Hanukkah series was originally posted for Hanukkah 2009 by my friend and fellow Fiesta

collector Saarin.

**************

Please welcome our guest blogger Saarin, my friend and fellow dish collector to The Little Round Table for a celebration of the "Festival of Lights". Leave comments for Saarin here on The Little Round Table, she'll be checking in as the posts come online each day.

"Comet the Hanukkat"

Penguins join the animals in the ark for the second night of Hanukkah. Some of my most special Homer Laughlin pieces are displayed on this hutch, along with a couple of lady head vases and dancing lady dolls.

Hanukkah - First Night

Please welcome our guest blogger Saarin, my friend and fellow dish collector to The Little Round Table for a series of posts first published in 2009.  Join us each day from Dec 1-9 as Hanukkah is celebrated.

Saarin's son Noah's story of Hanukka began the series:

Mi Yimalel - "Who Can Retell" - by Noah December 2000

**************************

Tonight at sundown, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, begins. This holiday is celebrated for eight nights in the month of Kislev on the Jewish calendar, coinciding with the winter holiday season. Hanukkah (also sometimes spelled Chanukah) is a celebration of religious freedom and the dedication of Jews all over the world to keep their traditions alive. Also, it brings light into our homes at the darkest time of the year.

As the story goes, after the destruction of the Temple in the year 165 BCE, there was only enough oil left to keep the "eternal flame" burning for one night. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight nights, until more could be acquired. That's why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight nights, and why oil is a prominent part of the holiday.

There are eight nights of Hanukkah, but nine candles in the menorah. The ninth candle is called the "shamash", or helper candle, and it is set apart from the rest. The shamash candle is lit first with a match, and then the shamash is used to light the other candles. On the first night, there is one candle plus the shamash, and another candle is added each night. The candles are added from right to left, the same direction in which the Hebrew language is read.

Jewish holidays begin at sundown, and that's when the menorah is lit. There are special blessings that are spoken or sung as the candles are lit, and they are allowed to burn all the way down.

Families and friends gather, light the menorah (adding a candle each night), play games with tops called "dreidels" and chocolate coins, exchange gifts, and eat foods made with oil. Potato pancakes called "latkes" are a favorite treat. At my house, it has been a tradition for many years to invite the neighbors in for a potluck meal, light menorahs, and celebrate together. With a little help from my friends, I often prepare up to 100 latkes for the annual neighborhood gathering.

There are as many recipes for latkes as there are families who make them. When my son was small, I often read a book to him called "Grandma's Latkes" by Malka Drucker, illustrated by Eve Chwast (Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1992.) As well as its charming story about family tradition, the book offers a simple recipe, and it's the one I've always used to make my own latkes. There are just a few ingredients--potatoes, onions, a little flour, an egg or two, some salt and pepper, and oil. In this photo you'll see Fiesta dishes both old and new: a vintage red mixing bowl, a post-86 marigold baking bowl, and a vintage turquoise fruit bowl.

For this first night table setting, I've used a Noah's Ark menorah from my son's childhood days, and I've chosen a color scheme reminiscent of the candles' flames. The Fiesta dishes are vintage, as is the glassware, the cloth napkin, and the Bakelite-handled flatware. Chocolate coins called "gelt" are in a vintage Harlequin nut dish. The tablecloth is Guatemalan, with a weave that happens to remind me of tiny menorahs.

While the candles burn down, children play a game with a dreidel like the wooden top displayed here. There are four Hebrew letters, one on each side of the dreidel: Nun, Gimmel, Hey, and Shin. These are the first letters of the words which make the sentence: (A) Great Miracle Happened There. The winner of each spin (the letters have values) gets some of the gelt--literally money--but usually it's played with foil-covered chocolate coins.

For a more complete description of how to play the game of dreidel, as well as other Hanukkah traditions, check out this site: Holidays.net

Mi Yimalel - "Who Can Retell" - by Noah December 2000

I'm reposting all the wonderful Hanukkah posts done by my friend Saarin in 2009 beginning today, so that all our new readers can enjoy them too.  Thanks Saarin!

***************

Back in December of 2000 a young friend was kind enough to send me this Hanukkah post for my website.  Here it is again for old and new friends to enjoy.  I'm sending everyone best wishes for this holiday season and hoping that someday Noah's wish for peace in our world comes true.

Beginning tomorrow and for the additional seven nights of Hanukkah my friend and fellow dish lover Saarin will be spreading the spirit of the season here on The Little Round Table with posts celebrating the Festival of Lights.  Please welcome her and leave a comment for our first "Guest Blogger."

Candy

Mi Yimalel - "Who Can Retell"

These are our two menorahs. The blue one (left) my Dad made. He made it by attaching a stick to a shower head, and covering it with clay!! The one with all the animals on it (right) belongs to me. I like to use it because it's a Noah's Ark menorah.  It was a present from my aunt.

My name is Noah. I am very fond of Hanukkah. Some people spell it Chanukah, there really isn't a right way or a wrong way. The things I like most about Hanukkah are the great songs, and lighting the candles. The menorah is a special candleholder that has 8 candles and one helper candle, called the shamash. You use a match to light the shamash, and then you use the shamash to light the other candles on the menorah. You light one candle on the first night, and each night you light another candle until on the last night all eight (nine, counting the shamash) are lit. It's really beautiful!

 Then you sing songs and play games and get presents! The reason we celebrate Hanukkah is to remember a time when Jewish people were not allowed to study their books or pray the way they wanted to, but they did it anyway, and even though they didn't have a big army they were able to win against their enemy. I wish people didn't have to fight wars just to be able to think or pray the way they want to. Then maybe there would be peace in the world. Happy Hanukkah!

 December 2000
********************
Noah is now 19 and away at college, studying writing and art.