How We Do
Holidays
Joana M . O .’ s Season of Gratefulness
Thanksgiving in March Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday . I loved the long weekend and being with my favorite people . It was also the one day of the year when the kitchen was fully freed from the health regime we otherwise maintained . My father took over the kitchen and there were things like gravy (!), pie (!!) and whipped cream (!!!). I reveled in the preparations and was a willing sous chef .
Living in Germany , I sorely miss being with my family on Thanksgiving and enjoying dishes that remain once-ayear foods for me . I was preparing for a trip home one spring and mentioned to my parents that I would love to have a
Thanksgiving . They said “ Why not ?” and a new tradition was born . We started having Thanksgiving when I came home , no matter what time of the year it was . Since then , my parents always have an extra bag of cranberries in the freezer and a can of pumpkin in the pantry .
Eight White Envelopes There is a lovely Christmas story on the internet called “ The White Envelope .” It tells the story of how one family struggled to find the right gift for a family member who said he had everything he needed . They started a tradition of giving to a local organization or charity — sometimes in very hands-on and creative ways — instead of a present .
I loved this story , and it made me wonder if I was doing enough to introduce my children to the Jewish tradition of tzedakah , the Hebrew word for charity or giving , in our own celebrations . I made a list of the charities and organizations we support , and I wrote a short explanation of why we support them . I got eight envelopes and put one in each . Now , each year , after lighting the Hanukkah candles , we open one envelope and read about these amazing organizations that are doing the work of tikkun olam , healing the world . My kids get a great reminder of our family values , and I think it is a great addition to the Hanukkah celebration that is also called the Festival of Lights .
18 Special Theme : How We Do Holidays