Reverb 2016 - Just Not that Into It

Just Not That Into It // Everyone has their own tipping point. What do you hate about the holidays?

I hate the “otherness” that I feel. I haven’t fully connected with a group of close Jewish friends here. And with my husband’s Christian family, I find myself saying “Christmas shopping” much more than “Hanukkah shopping” anymore. I don’t want to lose sight of my own heritage, but I find more and more that Hanukkah takes a back seat to my husband’s family’s Christmas celebration. That part is more sad than hateful. I certainly don’t hate his family for it – they welcome me and try to include my traditions (like latkes and candle lighting).

No, I hate the “Happy Holidays” vs “Merry Christmas” battle. It makes me feel more like an outsider every time someone posts a tirade about stores saying one instead of the other. Choosing sides here automatically excludes so many others. I absolutely understand that Christmas is one of the most religious holidays on the Christian calendar (presents aside) and that Hanukkah holds relatively low religious power; the debate is as polarizing in my mind as gun control. And while it seems a bit ridiculous to draw that much of an extreme parallel, I do so only to illustrate that it falls into the same “no-win” argument. I try to roll with it, knowing that I am in the minority. There’s probably a bit of deflection wrapped up in my head: it is hard to be in the minority and feel marginalized year after year. But it’s not about making Hanukkah mainstream (it’s still not a major holiday – and making it into one to compete with Christmas feels misplaced).

I love Christmas movies and Christmas cookies. I watch Elf almost on the daily this month, and my holiday playlist (a modern mix of Hanukkah, Christmas, and seasonal melodies) is on repeat. But I wish this debate about simple greetings wasn’t the end-all-be-all. I now block the posts when I see them on Facebook, but everything about the debate frustrates me. I say “Merry Christmas” to my Christian friends/family. I say “Happy Hanukkah” to my Jewish friends/family. Our holiday cards send warm wishes for the season. And I would appreciate a simple “Happy Holidays” from the stores. And I know I have religious friends who want to “put the Christ back in Christmas” and that is fine! Of course I do not begrudge them for their own fervor and I know  that their devotion has nothing to do with me. But I do wish it were easier for them to remember that there are other celebrations and to acknowledge those at the same time.

Reverb 2016 - Deck the Halls

Deck the Halls // Show us your holiday decor!  If you don’t celebrate during this season, show us your favorite year-round home decor item.

We don’t have our Hanukkah decorations up (they are still buried in a tote from the move). I have two favorite decorations besides, though. One, still not up yet, is our wall gallery of photos from our travels. It includes photos from our week in Europe on the cruise, wedding and honeymoon photos, weekend trips away, and snapshots of our family. The wall represents moments in time that have lead our family to where we are now. I absolutely loved it in the apartment, but in the house, our first floor has so many windows that I don’t have a single large wall to put these all together. I think it may end up in our bedroom or going up the staircase. I do miss seeing it every day.

My other favorite, which is currently hanging, is out ketubah. It hangs in our entryway and is a daily reminder of those vows we took nearly seven years ago to love and respect each other. We entered the marriage as two people to build a life together as one, and under that umbrella of love and respect we welcome people into our home to become part of lives, as well. I love the art on the ketubah as much as I love what it represents for our home.

Reverb 2016 - The Best Gift I Ever Got

The Best Gift I Ever Got // We all remember That One Gift that gave us The Most Joy.  Show us what that gift was for you and describe why it makes gives you all the feels.

This one is hard for me. For while I love giving gifts, receiving gifts is not my love language.

I think my favorite, though, would be a cruise that Hubs and I took a few years ago. It was a graduation gift from him and my parents, and with my parents we took a week to sail along the Mediterranean coast, visiting three countries. It was my parents’ first (and only) Great European Adventure. I will treasure that week we had together. I got to share in that joy as my mom got to finally quench her wanderlust. There were so many moments from that trip and it will always be one of my favorites. The City Hopper in Barcelona. Olive oil tasting in Italy. The pouring rain in France, which meant that I couldn’t climb the castle with everyone else (I had twisted my ankle so I was in a boot). Pompeii.

Things can break. Photos can be lost in a moment on a corrupt drive. But memories last as long as your mind does. And this time with my parents remains one of my favorite weeks ever.