Hanukkah is here. Today is the first full day of the Jewish holiday, which spans eights days and nights and, over the centuries, has come to involve gifts, as well as menorahs, dreidels and fried food like latkes. Hanukkah commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following a miraculous Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 BC.
“Hanukkah teaches us that to be men and women of faith, we must become impatient believers — partners in bringing God’s miracles to be,” says Rabbi Aaron Miller of the Washington Hebrew Congregation. “It is this miracle of human faith and action which sanctifies the Hanukkah season. This holiday reminds us of our sacred task for people of all faiths, that we should dedicate our lives to bring warmth and light to the cold and dark places of our world.”
It’s also a time to enjoy the warmth of family and loved ones.
At the Real Simple Holiday Pop-Up Shop, genConnect connected with many cooks, entrepreneurs and fashion experts to bring you different tips of their trade for the holidays. But one thing they all had in common was the belief that cooking, baking and shopping aside, the holidays are a time to embrace family and cherish the miracle of your loved ones.
Related: 6 Real Simple Holiday Tips
Sprinkles founder and “Cupcake Wars” judge Candace Nelson talked about tips to stress-free holiday baking, why the cupcake is so versatile and spending quality time in the kitchen with her family, while Real Simple Food Editor Dawn Perry stressed that buffets are a great way to serve food so that you have more time to spend with family rather than in the kitchen.
“The holidays are really about being together, as hard as you work to get the buffet out, at the end of the day you just want to kind of hang out with your friends and your family,” Perry said.
So sit back and enjoy your loved ones this Hanukkah and Christmas, and remember what is really important this holiday season!
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The post Hanukkah Is Here! Light the Menorah, Spend Time With Family appeared first on genConnect.