Thoughts of a Past Hannukah
It is a quiet Sunday morning. I gaze out of the window at the tiny snowflakes timidly drifting to the ground. I smile to myself as my thoughts travel back to days gone by…
Tonight is to the first of Hanukkah, when we light the first candle. On such a day, many, many years ago, when my children were young, I promised to make them soufganiyot. They were excited and looked forward to eating the special Hanukkah doughnuts. After they left for school, I began to prepare the dough and the fillings. I had a big pot filled with oil sitting at the ready. By the time they were due, I had cut many rounds of this treat. My pot of oil was heating.
I began to drop the rounds into the oil, fried them, and left them to drain. The smell of the oil permeated the kitchen, my hair, everything, as the colanders began to be heaped with the fried dough. I felt slightly nauseous, but happy.
Soon I heard the voices of children chattering and laughing. The back opened and children poured into the kitchen. I expected them to bring friends in. They always did, but not that many!
They filled their soufganiyot with their favorite fillings. No sooner than they filled them and sprinkled them with sugar, than they gobbled them all up! My whole kitchen was greasy, sticky, and a holy mess. It took several days of bathing and shampooing my hair before I got rid of the smell of the oil, but it was worth the pleasant memory.
They are now in their fifties, yet each Hanukkah I relive that pleasant memory of them as children, and I get a warm, happy feeling within me. But I have to admit one thing, I have acquired a great dislike for fried foods. It is only recently that I even attempted to eat a doughnut without getting a slightly sick feeling!
A joyous Hanukkah to all of you!