The Reason For The Eight Lights and Fewer On the Hanukiahs worldwide

Mincemeat tart with pastry forming a six point star, at John Lewis, Brent Cross shopping centre.

Singapore Hanukah Lights

I remember seeing a giant Hanukiah in central Orchard Road in Singapore. Only three candles were lit. I thought, 'What a shame. They have spent a lot of money making that lovely sculpture, monument, and the electrics have failed.'

I did not realise that it was the third day of Hanukah so three lights are lit. I discovered this when a girl from London arrived to stay and she had brought with her a candelabra, a candle holder, and a set of candles, which she left with me as a gift.

London Lights For Hanukah

 In Central London the best known location is Trafalgar Square. It has the largest Hanukiah in Europe. The lights are lit up from the first day of Hanukah, on December 14 until the last day, eight days later, Dec 22.

 Hanukah is a Jewish festival, celebrating the lighting of the candles in the temple in Jerusalem, when Jews were able to rededicate the temple after the Roman leader had tried to install Roman Gods. The story goes that there was not enough pure oil, the Romans had sacrificed a pig, deliberately to desecrate the temple. I don't know why it was so difficult to get a supply of oil. However, it seems that it took eight days, but the little oil they had which should have lasted only one day, lasted eight days, a miracle.

The Candles of  Hanukiah

The festival is also called the Festival of Lights. On the first day, one candle is lit, using a second helper candle. One the second day a second candle, total three. Until on the last day all eight are lit, nine if you count the helper candle.

Sets of Candles

If you buy hanukiah and a set of candles, you will have a box of 44 candles. Not just eight. Why so many? I automatically tried to add them up, 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8, plus 8 more for the central, more rarely on the side, candle used to light the others. The usual way of counting is starting with two on day one, the first candle and the helper candle, called a shamach. 1+1=2,  ... 8+1=9.

Oil Based Food

In synagogues and other places where celebrations are held. oil based food, usually donuts, is served. Greeting cards will show oil and oil based food.

 Often children are supplied with kits to make a hanukiah during the 8 days, on the first day. You may have to go early and sign up in advance, because the number of kits may depend on the budget for the number of children expected.

Did Jesus Celebrate Hanukah?

Yes. Jesus celebrated the festival, the Feast of Dedication, as it was then called, as recorded in the New Testament in the gospel of John 10.22.

Useful Websites About Hanukah

Wikipedia Hanukah

Haukah candles

Hanukah history

Update on Dec 15 2025

https://www.thetimes.com/world/australasia/article/sydney-shooting-antisemitism-attack-jewish-holiday-chanukkah-zkk6dvt7d

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The Hanukiah for Hanukah- howww is it different from a menorah?

 

Hanukiah, with nine candle holders.

The Hanukiah

The hanukiah is a candlestick with eight candle holders and a ninth which holds the servant candle which lights the others. 

On day one of the festival the lady of the house will light the servant candle, say a prayer, and use the candle to light the first - according to some, starting on the left? Each day another candle is lit. until on the last night all the candles are lit.

The Menorah

A menorah looks similar but has seven candle holders, for the seven days of the week, and is used and lit on Friday night at dusk for the sabbath (in Hebrew shabbat, in Yiddish, which is a variation on German, shobbos).

Because the word hanukah is translated from the Hebrew, spelling may vary. 

If you want to know more about Hanukah, there is an article in Wikipedia which lins through to another article about a French museum wwhich has a whole room devoted to Hanukah.

You can see hanukiahs lit in major cities such as New York, London, and Singapore. They may be in the centre of the city or outside synogogue. 

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_d%27Art_et_d%27Histoire_du_Juda%C3%AFsme

Xmas, Hanukah and Winter Food and Festivities Around the World

 

Hanukah Coinciding With Christmas

This year, 2024, unusually, the 8 day Hanukah celebration coincides with Christmas. The start of Hanukah is on Christmas Day, December 25th. The Jewish calendar, changes dates each year. 

In the USA Christmas celebrations include a Santas' run. 

The Christmas celebration started as a religious holiday which included a midnight mass in the church,. These still take place in modern times in the UK and Europe.

Midnight Mass

 I attended a midnight mass in a church in Prague. Also one in London at a Catholic church. The one we went to was free, but to ensure seats for everybody, and comply with regulations preventing overcrowding, you might need to apply several days in advance for tickets. 

Advance Booking

The musical and/or religious event organizers may also need to know numbers to provide seating for all. Also to cater for any water or wine or wafers to be distributed, and for sufficient ushers, security or first aiders.) Be prepared for a donation box for charity being passed around. You might need cash, unless the health regulations banning coins and notes handled by many people, require donations in advance or arrears by cheques, bank transfer, phone pay or some other means.

Christmas was established on December 25th as the birthday of Jesus (whose date is not mentioned in the two books of the Christian New Testament. The date in December was to replace the pagan festival of Saturnalia, and to be in the week of the Solistice or sun's calendar's shortest day, so that a festival of light would cheer people and seem a good omen.

USA Streets

Street lights in the USA adorn skyscrapers in business districts, and rooftops of houses and on front lawns.  One street is entirely decorated by a man to cheer his wife who has dementia.

In some places the lights are such as attraction that traffic jams form, and there is a ban on non-residents and for cars, and/or pedestrians of tourists / a charge / voluntary charity collection.

New York has famous lights such as the Christmas tree. To accommodate people of all faiths and none, some places have renamed trees winter trees. Jewish organizations or commercial enterprises have offered blue stockings resembling the red ones, and a Hanukah bush in place of the tree. 

Chrismukah

The ideas multiply each year. A combined festival for mixed faith families or gatherings has been named by the combination word, or abbreviation, Chrismukah. At first this was probably intended by some to be viewed as mocking and negatively but it has become popular and positive.

Russia

Russia celebrates with grandfather Frost. He wears blue and white. He has a house you can visit.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia is Eastern Orthodox Christian. They celebrate the birth of Jesus in January.

Useful Websites on Christmas

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

Useful Websites on Hanukah

Wikipedia - Hanukah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Grapevine Kosher Wine Shops

https://www.kosherwine.co.uk/

tel> 020 8202 2631

Latkes and Salt Beef\

https://www.bksaltbeefbar.com/about

Donuts for hanukah time only in London, England, Margot Bakery 121 East End Rd, East Finchley.

https://www.margotbakery.co.uk/chanukah

Carrot and ginger soup recipe from the BBC

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/carrot-ginger-soup

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Hanukah delights, the lights, the donuts, latkes, stars, spinning tops and songs

 I was invited to a Hanukah dinner at a home. We researched online for shops selling kosher wine. 

The shop we found, Grapevine in Hendon, one of two branches, sold kosher wine and kosher chocolates. We stocked up on kosher wine so that we would be ready for any other event later this year or next year where the hosts or guests might want kosher wine. Grapevine has two branches. One is in Hendon, 20 Bell Lane, NW4 2AD. We got an answerphone, and the website gave one time for closing and the recorded message another. So we aimed at the earlier time, allowing extra time for heavy pre-Xmas evening traffic. The chocolates are available in square or round designs, flat, so you can see the contents. The round ones of mixed chocolates and other items from Fifteen pounds minus a penny, the chocolates only from twenty pounds.

The home which we visited was decorated with all sorts of happy Hanukah items. Banners said Happy Hanukah. A festoon of six-point stars (known as the star of David to Jews and the seal of Solomon to Muslims) in blue and silver was draped across the arched room divider wall. The dining table had Hanukah theme table paper napkins, spinning tops in the forms of a clown and dreidls. 

The evening events started with the lighting of Hanukah candles on a hanukiah. (A hanukiah is a nine-branch candlestick.)

The starter for our meal was carrot soup with ginger. And coconut. Recipes say coconut milk. Very colourful. Bright orange. The first time I had tried it. It was excellent.

Latkes

The main course was chicken with vegetables and latkes. Latkes are a favourite of mine. Grated potato fried in oil. A traditional food for Hanukkah because of the symbolism of the oil.

You can eat latkes all year round at B & K Salt Beef bar and deli. Branches are in Hatch End and Edgware.

Donuts

We discussed the fact that donuts with holes in the middle were invented in America. Donuts often had centres which did not get cooked through properly. So, one day, an American cook punched a hole through the middle of a donut and that solved the problem.

After the meal was sat telling stories and spinning the dreidls.

Useful Websites

Wikipedia - Hanukah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Grapevine Shops

https://www.kosherwine.co.uk/

tel> 020 8202 2631

Latkes and Salt Beef\

https://www.bksaltbeefbar.com/about

Donuts for hanukah time only in London, England, Margot Bakery 121 East End Rd, East Finchley.

https://www.margotbakery.co.uk/chanukah

Carrot and ginger soup recipe from the BBC

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/carrot-ginger-soup

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Donuts To Celebrate Hanukah, the Festival of Lights, Celebrated By Jesus In the Second Temple

What to expect - the lighting of the Hanukiah, eating donuts, or chocolate coins covered in gold foil, and hearing Hanukah songs and kletzmer music. I checked when sunset was in London and it was 3.55 pm. (Dark so early!) Thank goodness the shortest day is soon, Wednesday December 21st.

Where can you join in celebrations? Jewish museums and restaurants. 

Expect to see hanukiahs (nine branched candlesticks) in London, Scotland, Berlin, New York and Jerusalem.

The nine branches are for a candle for each of the eight days, plus the physically higher candle which is the servant candle lighting the others.

Tomorrow, Monday, December 19th 2022, is the second night of the eight day festival of Hanukah, or Festival of Lights. First, let's just recall the second temple.

The first temple was built by Solomon. 

The Babylonians in about 500 years BC destroyed the temple and carried a large number of the Jews from the north off to Babylon (now roughly Iraq). Remember operas and modern songs based on bible stories like 'the rivers of Babylon' where "we wept, when we remembered Zion'. Psalm 137 recalled the rivers of Babylon, which inspired Verdi's opera Nabucco (Italian for Nebuchadnezzar).

Jews were later allowed to return under the Greeks, and to worship in a new, bigger, better second temple. 

Then a new ruler, Greek Antiochus, reversed the policy. He banned the Jews from entering the temple, dedicated it to Roman gods. he banned circumcision and, to make sure the temple was definitely off limits to Jews, he ordered it to be deliberately desecrated with sacrificed pigs.  

A civil war ensued. The traditionalist rebels were led by the Maccabees, whose name means hammer. They eventually re-captured Jerusalem and restored the temple. 

The dedication included installing the light using oil. Uncontaminated oil, mythology says, was only enough for one night - but miraculously lasted 8 days!

 Jesus was with his fellow Jews in Jerusalem, in the Second Temple, at the Festival of Lights (New Testament book of John 10). this festival celebrated the re-dedication of the Second Temple.  

According to John, Jesus said, during the ceremony, I am the light. This metaphor echoes various other biblical metaphors about light.

The Festival was also described as the Festival of Lights, at least about 50 years later, by first century Roman Josephus. (He was a former Jewish army leader who notoriously and, disastrously, for the Jews, switched sides, handing victory to the Romans). Josephus wrote the history of the Jews from the point of view of the conquering Romans.

Now, a couple of thousand years later, these events are commemorated by oil based foods such as potato latkes (grated potato which is friend in oil) and donuts which contain more and more flavours, every year. No longer just red jam, but like ice cream is not longer vanilla strawberry and chocolate, as many flavours as the cooks can create and the restaurants, delis and supermarkets can sell.

Did it happen the way I describe it, or the way the bible and ancient texts describe it? I shall not let doubts about the truth get in the way of a good story, pretty lights and eating donuts. The story might not be a hundred per cent truthful, and the donuts may not be a hundred per cent healthy, but it is dark and cold outside so let there be light and filling food.

Useful Websites

https://london.eater.com/2022/12/18/23512657/where-to-celebrate-hanukkah-london

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Hanukah - when is it and what is it and what's in it for me?

 

Hanukah dates like all Jewish holiday dates vary and in 2022 the eight day festival starts on December 18th and ends December 26th, spanning Christmas on the 25th.

What's in it for the traveller? Eight branch candlesticks lit in public places and homes. An eight branch candlestick is already lit on the corner of the synagogue complex in Waterloo Street in Singapore.

Expect to see more in Israel and cities around the world, for residents and welcoming visitors and entertaining shoppers.

UK

I vividly remember being invited to the home of a neighbour in London, England and learning that the seven branch candlestick represents the seven days of the week, and is lit on the evening of the Sabbath. 

Singapore

In Singapore a huge hanukiah was in Orchard Road, the main shopping street. I saw only three lights were lit. What a pity, I thought, that the electricity has failed to light it properly. Even though it looked faulty, I photographed it anyway.

Later, I learned that the hanukiah was correctly lit. You have one candle lit on day one, and another added on each of the days.

In Waterloo Street you can see a hanukiah near the MRT station.

Soft toy in the shape of a dreidl (Hanukah spinning top). Photo from Sharot family. 

Gifts of Hanukiahs, Bought and Home Made

A hannukiah is a great gift for your hosts or guests before or during hanukah. There are lots of modern designs. Decorating a DIY hanukiah is an activity for children at synagogues around the world. The children go home with a hanukiah suitable for their ages and abilities, drawn on paper and coloured, made from a wooden kit (from Jewish museum shops and Jewish gift shops and the internet. The wooden and clay ones can be painted. 

Bargains

Just as Christmas theme gifts are reduced in price after Christmas, you might be lucky enough to snap up a bargain after Hanukah and stock up for next year. In Rockville Maryland in the USA when I was living there I went looking for a night dress in a small local dress shop. The only one they had was a reduced price hanukah theme blue night dress. I passed it by. 

Then I went back for it. The price was right. I would never get another one like it. Nobody but me knew I was wearing it out of season.

Useful Websites

UK website

https://www.judaicawebstore.co.uk/hanukkah-menorahs-C106.aspx

US website

https://www.judaicawebstore.com/hanukkah-menorahs-C106.aspx?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah_menorah

• Yearly lighting of the Menorah at the White House
• Hanukkah Lamps from the collection of The Jewish Museum (New York)
• Hanukkah lamp collection at the Israel Museum.

My Yiddishe Chanukah!

I wrote about Hanukah for one of my Toastmasters International speakers mutual help clubs. I started getting lots of ads and links on Facebook and Youtube for Hanukah. i discovered several interesting YouTube music videos including:

this one of a lively Yiddish group, men and women.

I was surprized how many Hanukah songs there are and how many I know or recall or recognize. 

For example:

I had a little dreidl. (A dreidl is a spinning top.)

I have other posts showing the Hanukiahs  which you can see in public places (9 branch candlesticks used for the 8 day celebration of hanukah).

Yiddish is the Jewish language combining German and Hebrew, with a few words of Russian or other northern or Eastern European languages. 

Ladino is the Spanish based language containing Hebrew words used by Jews originating from Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Far East.

Useful Websites

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2021/02/moshe-schulhof-sings-best-yiddish-song.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish

About the Author

Do you like Doughnuts? New York's Delightful Donuts. Jelly or Jam?

 It is Hanukah, oil and doughnut time. Celebrated widely in the USA, Israel, and in corners of London, England and multi-faith Singapore.

The Americans abbreviate spelling (due to Webster, who edited a new reformed simplified spelling dictionary), so they spell doughnuts as donuts. 

In Israel the donuts are called suganiyah (singular) suganiyot (plural), which are Hebrew words. 

I watched a wonderful video on Facebook on a Hanukah page, which featured three donut shops, two being take away shops, the third being a sit down restaurant.

After the American spelling, the second thing I noticed was 'jelly' donuts. Jelly is American for what the British call jam. When British English speakers say jelly, they mean what Americans call by a brand name, Jello.

The third difference is the use of the word fancy. The Americans referred to a fancy restaurant. We in Britain do use the word fancy similarly, but usually to imply elaborate, decorated with fine detail. I would say in London, a smart restaurant. A fancy restaurant would have, not just fabric table napkins, but embroidery or patterns.

The video also describes the donuts as being pareve. It contains no milk or meat. So can be eaten with any meal. Kosher food, like halal food, requires meat to come from a restricted set of animals - no pork- and which have been killed in what was in olden times the quickest and kindest way, with a sharp knife, not constant blows to the head. Anyway, forget all that nasty stuff. Pareve means no meat nor milk products. 

The narrator describes as a child at home on hanukah coming downstairs first thing in the morning to be offered a breakfast of hot freshly cooked (or heated up?) donuts.  

The video from tripping kosher visits three places, . They have vegan donuts, no milk. They use the word heimeische which is Yiddish, German-Jewish, meaning home-like, or like home, home-made freshly baked taste. 

One of the speciality establishments describes three types of donuts, made from traditional dough, or cakey, or from doughseeds. I looked for this, and concluded that they meant seeded dough, like seed bread, with seeds add to the mixture before cooking, rather than added to the outside, stuck on with egg white the night before cooking.

Useful Websites

Video

Trippingkosher.com

About the Author of this blog, Author Angela Lansbury

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books, including: Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

I  also have a blog on comic poems.

 Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Hanukah - Another Festival of Lights - Which Jesus Celebrated

Hanukiah in Orchard Road Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

 After the festival of lights for Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, Diwali, along comes another festival of light. In Chinese dominated but ideologically multi-cultural Singapore, Hanukah in 2021 is celebrated from the evening of Sunday 28th December to Monday 6th December. The festival lasts for eight days.

To interest Christian guests at a Toastmasters online meeting, I wanted to know when the events commemorated in the festival took place, before or after Jesus, and, if before, would Jesus have celebrated the festival?

Oddly, the answer came from a website run by Jews for Jesus, a group ignored and regarded with suspicion by Jews, because it is active in trying to convert Jews to Christianity. 

Anyway, despite my wariness, (I wondered, would the website be anti-Jewish?), the website was very handy to me, because it answered my question.

Jesus and Hanukah

The events commemorated by the festival happened in 165 BCE. BC stand for Before Christ. Jews and others prefer BCE, which stands for Before our Common Era.

Jesus celebrated all the Jewish festivals, including Hanukah. The Festival is mentioned in the New Testament in the book of John. The New Testament call it The Feast of Dedication. A Syria of 165 BC had taken over the temple, sacrificed a pig deliberately to cause outrage and installed 'idol worship' of Greek gods. A resistance movement dominated by a family nicknamed the Maccabees (hammers) succeeded in ousting the interlopers and restoring the temple. However, they had only enough oil for one night. Miraculously, the original oil lasted eight days until new supplies could be brought. The symbolic light and joy have amplified into celebrations inculding lighting a new candle on the candelabra every evening, whether a small one at home or a tall one in a public place. Plus lots of coourful and family fun activities, plus filling food and sweets. 

The Menorah and Hanukiah

Menorah at synagogue in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria

Nine branch hanukiah for hanukah outside synagogue in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Hanukah For Children

Children enjoy Hunakah because of the fun of making the eight branch candlestick - a favourite activity organized by synagogues. Also lighting the candles. A gift every day - such as Hanukah gelt, or money, which is chocolate money wrapped in gold foil.

Hanukah Food with oil

Foods cooked with oil recall how the oil enough to light the temple restored to the Jews, sufficient for one night, lasted 8 nights.

Foods cooked with oil include potato latkes (fried grated potato), and donuts.

Donuts with strawberry jam for Hanukah.

Donuts with chocolate and cream. Jerusalem.

Hanukah Gelt

Chocolate coins with gold colour covering. Showing menorahs.

If you want to order a Hanukiah and the candles you had better get organized now.

 The Hanukiah

The hanukiah is different from the menorah. The menorah has seven branches, one for each day of the week. It is lit on the eve of the Sabbath. The woman of the house, or female guest of honour, recites a prayer (in Hebrew) with her eyes covered in order to concentrate and open the eyes to the joy of the light. Of course, if you are Israeli, and Hebrew is your first language, reciting a prayer in Hebrew is not a challenge, as it would be for an English speaking Jewish person. 

The hanukiah has eight branches, one for each of the days of Hanukah. The central and ninth is for the shamash or helper candle which lights the others.

Menorahs and Hanukiahs Around The World

Menorah outside the Knesset, Parliment building, Jerusalem.

Useful Websites

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2020/12/where-to-see-hanukiah-and-how-to-make.html

https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/hanukkah?

About the author

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books, including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time.

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

Read the previous post on Diwali.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Masks and more

 

This is from Etsy.

You can buy tie-dye tee-shirts with matching masks.

Several video show you how to make masks from fabric or cutting pieces our of garments. 

Useful Websites

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/910393660/happy-hanukkah-face-mask

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, fashionista. Please share links to your favourite posts or one or more of the blogs

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

Happy Hanukah and how hanukiahs candlesticks and menorahs differ

 I was preparing slides for a talk to an online meeting of Singapore's Braddell heights Toastmasters club, on winter festivals and festivals of light, when I thought I would add the Jewish eight day festival Hanukah, sometimes spelled Channukah. 

This year, 2020, Hanukah is in December.

Hanukiah in Orchard Road, Singapore, in 2019. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Greetings Card for Hanukkah. 

Nine-branch hanukiah at synagogue in Waterloo Street, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, fashionista. Please share links to your favourite posts or one or more of the blogs

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

Giant Hanukiah In Singapore. Why Three Candles - and the fourth?

On Christmas Day in Orchard Road, Singapore, we passed dozens of Christmas trees, candles, little red Santas swinging from the trees, a large menorah with its goodwill message.


Happy Chanukah on Orchard Road, Singapore, Christmas Day 2019. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

My family almost walked past the giant Hanukiah on Orchard Road. From the base you cannot see it. Look up, and there it is.

This is the Hanukiah or 8/9 branch candelabra for hanukah, as shown on a hanukah card we had been sent by a lovely Jewish family overseas. With that imprinted on my mind, I expected to see all 8 or 9  candles glowing on the giant hanukiah in Orchard Road.

My first thought was, what a pity that all the candles are not lit. There must be a malfunction in the electrics. 

Then somebody else realized why. It was the third day of Hanukah, so only three lights were lit. You light one every night until on the eighth night the last one is lit. The extra one in the middle is for lighting the others. (Not nowadays that there is electricity, but if you have a hanukiah at home or in a synagogue or public place.)
As Boris, member of Parliament and Prime Minister of the UK, said in his Hanukah message, the lighting of the hanukiah recalls how the bad days of persecution were followed by the good days of restitution of freedom. It is a message of light and hope.

The hanukiah should be there with an extra light each day until the eighth day when all of them are lit. For those of us who like symmetry, and the hanukiah is delightfully symmetrical, the best time for a photo is on the last day. But the previous days with a candle yet to be lit also tell the story.

Useful Websites
singaporeair.com

About the author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Happy Hanukah - which foods can I enjoy - what did Boris and Corbyn say?

Hanukah
Oops - I missed Hanukah. Boris, PM of England, sent a Hanukah wish to all Jewish friends, family and colleagues and Jewish residents in the UK and overseas. Hanukah started Sunday 22nd December 2019 and continues 8 Days until Dec 30th.

The Hanukiah
The Hanukiah has eight candle holders, four each side for the eight days, one in the middle for the candle to light the others. Two more than the the Menorah which has 7 altogether for the 7 days of the week.

Dreidels

Dreidels / Spinning tops in a Jerusalem market

Adiel lo - Own work

Colorful dreidels for sale in Machne Yehuda market, Jerusalem with Israel specific lettering on blue dreidels (נ ג ה פ) and diasporah lettering on orange dreidels (נ ג ה ש).

Hanukah Food
The hanukah foods are oil based to celebrate the oil which lasted 8 days.



Donuts






Chocolates
The gold foil shows the eight-branch hanukiah.

1 Savoury - latkes (fried grated potato pancakes - like American has browns and Swiss rosti)
2 Donuts with thick filling
3 Gold foil covered chocolate money - mainly for children and party or event favours

Where to try and buy Hanukah foods
Israel
All major cities.

UK
Branches of supermarkets in North West London.
Restaurants and delicatessens, especially in Golders Green, Stanmore, Edgware, and Hatch End.

USA
New York, Washington DC, San Francisco and several other cities.

Czech Republic
A Jewish tour will feature restaurants serving Jewish style or kosher food in Prague.

Poland
Warsaw and Krakow.
Warsaw is the city of the Warsaw ghetto.
Krakow was the WWII HQ of the Nazis from across the nearby border and a major tour is to Auschwitz so your tour guide and fellow visitors will be exchanging up to date information on locations for Jewish food and opening times.

In both cities the standard tour will pass Jewish sites and the Jewish museum and guides or maps will mark synagogues, Jewish monuments and streets where you are likely to find shops and restaurants with Jewish souvenirs and food.

Useful Websites
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7821601/Boris-Johnson-vows-fight-against-noxious-hatred-anti-Semitism.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7818831/Jeremy-Corbyn-tweets-happy-Hanukhah-message-sparking-fierce-response-Jewish-editor.html

visittheusa.co.uk
visitbritain.com
visitlondon.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

The most Beautiful Synagogue In Europe?

I visited the synagogue in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. The synagogue is already open, although still undergoing renovation. You can see the columns with gold decoration around the tops, the huge central chandelier, the ceilings painted blue with stars.

Al around are the numerous six point star,s called magen David, or star of David. The six point star is known to Jews as the star of David and Muslims call it the seal of Solomon. The floor also has stars with more points.

The so called museum is at the moment (June 2019) just one case of objects on the left. Join up with another visitor if you don't know what the objects in the case are, but you can read the captions and check up on Google. For instance, there is the curved ram's horn used to blow loudly with great effort during the service of New Year.

It might help you to recall that the seven branch candelabra is for the Sabbath. 

Seven branch menorah in Sofia's synagogue.In Bulgaria.

The festival of lights in the autumn is Hanukah. The eight' branch candlestick', actually a nine branch candlestick, is called a hanukiah.

There is  small entry charge. One case on the wall on the right has items for sale, such as music, and head covering for men in satin look material in bright colours, such as green (kippot in Hebrew).

Keep looking and you keep seeing more intriguing objects. On the floor on the left is a glass panel you can walk on revealing what was discovered underneath, broken pieces of stone with carvings.

I was very impressed with the synagogue. I thought it was the most beautiful I have seen, of those open to the public. Maybe I should get out more.

Sofia Jewish Tour
I took a Jewish Tour, a free walking tour of Sofia. To our surprise the tour did not stop at the synagogue. But you can visit it on your own. We found it with the aid of Google maps on our mobile phones, aided by Tripadvisor.

Synagogue Museums in Europe
Other synagogues to visit in Europe include those made into museums in Amsterdam in The Netherlands and in Prague in the Czech Republic.

About the author
Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. Author of Jewish Travel Guide.

Three recycled cake or table decorations

I was so pleased with my two trees and Santa saved and recycled stuck in water bottle caps that I photographed them together in a line. I used a piece of plain white A4 paper propped up as the background.

Currently in Singapore you can get bottle caps in red,white, green and blue. The red, white and green were perfect colours for Xmas decorations. 

What could you do with blue? Blue might suit a football team colours. You could use the blue bases for Hanukah.

For detaila about washing cake decorations to bring them home, and how to make a hole, the right size, and safely, see my previous posts. Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

USE SEASONAL EVENTS TO MAKE HOLIDAYS AND CLUB MEETINGS MORE EXCITING: SURPRISE COSTUMES, DECOR AND EVENTS - From Tennis With Strawberries to Hanukah and Kosher Factory Tours

Problem
Somebody in Singapore asked me to suggest how to spice things up at their meetings. This group, above, really got int the spirit of things at Xmas, all dressed in red or white or black, and given Santa hats by the organizers (or asked to each bring their own). You can see me, the blonde, top left. What a jolly group. Not just one person dressed as a Santa, but everybody. You ask everybody to dress the part, but keep a few spares from one year to the next for those who forget.

SPICE AND FOOD THEMES

I can spice up your meeting just by being there. Meanwhile, spice up by making:

 A potluck at every meeting, on a theme, and print out a flag, and add a quotation, 

Display a year plan, which you show every meeting of all the upcoming meetings themes and the flag and food to be featured. Note national holidays through the year, especially those of your members, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Spanish-Venezuelan, and so on, and have food potlucks asking everybody to bring suitable food.

I do not think knowing what food is coming spoils the surprise. It adds to the anticipation. Let people to plan for a potlucks weeks ahead. On Holidays and business trips they can look for and buy traditional foods. In foreign countries and second homes, they can check their attics for funny hats and t-shirts and traditional costumes.

MUSIC
If music be the food of love, said Shakespeare. One of the most entertaining meetings I went to was organised by the staff of Singapore Airlines. They had a song to suit every person who came up on stage. The birthday girls and boys had a happy birthday. The music suddenly blared out from a laptop, set off by a clicker, so the music started as the person approached the stage. You could have music by Nationality. For example, Spanish music, Indian music, Chinese Music. A couple who had got engaged could have Congratulations.

Ask each speaker what is their favourite football team. Their country. Their city.

MONTHLY EVENTS

AUGUST
August - PEACHES & POTLUCK PICNIC.
Peach month - failing all else, tinned peaches, but somebody can go to a wet market and use club funds to buy peaches or if generous just buy them to donate to the club. Divide leftovers up, for the committee as a reward or if enough offer to visitors to take home as a party bag gift.

Aug CLOWNS
1-7 International Clown week - adding humour to speeches -

AUG WATER
Water quality month 

AUG PICNICS
National picnic month - potluck picnic food at meeting; speech on picnic places in Singapore; mosquitos; humorous speech on picnic from an insect’s point of view, litter, compare a typical British picnic with a Chinese picnic and a Malay and an Indian picnic, ask two local shops what they think about picnics - you might get a supermarket suggesting food on special offer, a restaurant angry about people bringing their own food in and pointing out perfectly good place to eat in a local park, and another saying we are happy for people to bring in their own sandwiches so long as they buy one drink an hour.

SEASONAL EVENTS - PARK PICNIC - DISASTER STORY

I have a humorous story about a disaster picnic in the park organised in England by Harrovians Toastmasters. It rained. We ran to the shelter where we gave our speeches, until we were forced to leave when we were constantly interrupted by a drunk who wanted us to believe in Jesus, and his dog wanted to eat our sandwiches.

AUG 3-27 EDINBURGH FESTIVAL, SCOTLAND, COMEDY
Largest arts festival in the world. Comedy awards, and street theatre, and pay what you like 'free' pass the hat performances in pub meeting rooms.
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL, LONDON, ENGLAND

September 24, 2018, Mid CHINESE MOONCAKES & Autumn Festival 

This is Chinese, Malay, Vietnamese, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Chinese restaurants worldwide and online. Don’t keep it a secret and a surprise - get everybody excited for a month in advance, researching and asking friends and family, for recipes, photos, stories. 

OCTOBER
October - AUTUMN COLOURS & HALLOWEEN Pumpkins

All month meetings and speeches on Hallowe’en giving people time to use the ideas elsewhere. Party shops and supermarkets sell loads of goods and multipacks. Lucky dip topics on spiders, pumpkins, ghosts.  USA teachers’ websites have inexpensive paper cut-outs of ghosts to cut out, or spiders to print, and recipes to share on your smartphone. Decorate the room.

31 Hallowe'en and carved pumpkins, apples and apple bobbing, ghost stories, ancestor stories. For the practical person, a speech on apple varieties: Cox, Granny Smith, Giant Japanese apples.

NOVEMBER

November - DIWALI LIGHTS

Nov 7 Diwali - the festival of light

November 10th 2018, Lord Mayors Show, London. See on TV.

Nov 11 Armistice Day UK, WWII.

DECEMBER

December - XMAS CAKE & HANUKAH

Dec 2-10 Jewish Hanukah - make a giant h a n u k i a h - eat Chanukah foods.

 https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-symbolic-foods-for-hanukkah-1808125 - One of the modern USA surprises on this website is cake or bun cut to reveal the blue pattern of six-point star or a spinning top called dreidl.
New Year's Eve, fireworks and Champagne.

Xmas - mince pies, Xmas cake, Xmas pudding, French y u l e log, German stollen, European carp, Xmas poems. The Toastmaster should be in a seasonal outfit, Xmas carols and Karoke. Write your own hymns and Xmas greetings. Plus, the essential food. A mystery Santa. Ask everybody to wear red, green, or white. Those who don't can choose a hat to wear.

Plan a year ahead.
JANUARY
New Year's DAY and New Year Resolutions and Beginnings.
New Year's Day concert from Vienna televised.
JAN 25. Burns night with a Burns supper, Haggis and neeps (turnips), and readings of Burns poetry. Wear your kilt or tartan.

FEBRUARY
Valentine's Day theme of love. Red hearts.

Valentine's day. All things heart-shaped, banners, table decorations, food, cakes, sandwiches, pancakes.

MARCH
St Patricks; everything Irish, Irish songs, the colour green. Talk and slides on celebrations around the world.

April EASTER eggs, chocolate, bunnies, and religious events.
(April 7 Saturday in 2019 Oxford and Cambridge Boat race, watched on TV by 15 million people, plus 250,000 last year in person along the riversides.
Easter Sunday in 2019.

MAY
May Day, May 1st.
As somebody said, Labour Day, a day celebrating workers when nobody does any work.


Here are the JUNE dates from 2018, update them for 2019 and later years:

JUN 2018

Battle of Waterloo re-enactment, Waterloo, Belgium.

Sand sculpture Ostend, Belgium.

17 Father’s Day UK.

Royal Ascot Ladies Day (horses and hats!)

Jun 21 Music festivals throughout France

28-30 Haro wine festival, Haro, Rioja, Spain.

JULY TENNIS
July 21, 2018, Longest Day.
 Wimbledon Tennis, London, England - traditional food is strawberries and cream.

HERE ARE THE DATES FROM 2018 - update from for 2019 and later years>

JUL 2018

Father’s Day and Ladies Day at Ascot - all in hats.

Photo of Father’s Day free drink offer from 2017 by Angela Lansbury.

Early July, one week in Pamplona, the capital of Navara, Spain, bulls in streets, 7-14 July in 2019, also Google search for: Pamplona Bulls, Spain.

1 Belgian Independence day, celebrated countrywide.

Ghent Festival, in Ghent, Belgium.

Bayreuth, Germany. Wagner festival. 25 July-29 Aug 2018.

Wimbledon Tennis.

Just for Laughs, comedy, Montreal

If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.

EVENTS
Some clubs have two seasonal parties, a summer outdoor picnic of barbecue, and a Christmas lunch or dinner in December, or in January after members are back from holidays and restaurant prices are down.

At least one Toastmasters club in Singapore organises one of two group holidays for members to a nearby country in Asia, visiting archaeological and historical sites. Singapore's Friends of the Museums does the same. So do the ex-pat associations which include American, British, Canadian, Japanese, Dutch.

You could also organise group visits to sporting events, such as football, rugby, cricket, Ascot (horse racing), tennis, golf, table tennis, Olympics, rowing races such as the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in England and the Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong (was in June in 2018).

ADD PHOTOS TO YOUR WEBSITE

Your Chengsan Toastmasters International 'meet our members' webpage has only one member, and no photos of them or anybody else. Add some photos. If you want to be incognito, wear a hat or mask or microphone in front of your face - not a good photo but anything is better than nothing, eg stand back view holding a map of the country you come from, or your national flag, or Toastmasters ribbon, or a group photo of the committee without saying who is who. Better still, list all the committee. 

USEFUL WEBSITES
visitbritain.org
visitengland.com
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/41527965 (You can see 2018 events, compare with 2017 to see what is recurrent in each month)
https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays

All good wishes from

Angela Lansbury ALB ACG

Secretary of Harrovians, London.