Good Morning Dear Friends,
As we quickly approach the season of light, I think back to all the happy memories of childhood.
I grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut and every Hanukah my grandparents would have a Hanukah party to celebrate this holiday. It was traditionally a minor holiday but became more “important” as the Jewish Christmas.
Hanukah celebrates the triumph of a small band of Jews, known as Maccabees, over the Seleucids, who had attempted to Hellenize the Jewish people and had desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem. As the Jews rededicated the Temple, only one cruise of oil was found intact to kindle the Menorah (Temple candelabra), sufficient for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, until new ritually pure oil could be obtained.
We thus celebrate Chanukah by kindling the menorah every evening of the eight-day holiday.
As with every other traditional observance, there are traditional foods that are enjoyed and Hanukah is no exception. Potato pancakes or “latkes” are served because they are fried in oil – and the holiday, after all, is all about how one cruise of oil lasted for eight days.
The oil of choice for latkes is usually olive oil. As you should know by now, you can’t cook with the highly polyunsaturated flax oil. Although some might suggest the use of coconut oil, olive oil comes from the Mideast and is one of our most anti-inflammatory oils of all. There is a substance in olive oil which has the healing power of medicinal anti-inflammatory drugs, to be exact.
For those of you with dry skin, olive oil can even be used topically. It is a phase 3 choice, to be sure, but a spritz or two of this monounsaturated gem is now allowed for cooking in all phases of Fat Flush.
So, Happy Hanukah to all of you celebrating this lovely (and delicious) holiday.
One more little known fact.
The events relating to Hanukah occurred around 165 B.C.E. Halley’s Comet was passing very close to earth and when the Jews witnessed this miraculous light in the sky from the comet’s tail, Hanukah was termed “Festival of Lights.”
Last week I was visiting the East Coast to celebrate Hanukah and an early Christmas with my brother’s family. (I had to see the kids’ faces when they opened up their gifts…you know how that is 🙂 )
I am doing some research for a new project with a wonderful integrated physician, Dr. Richard Delany, who had this plaque on his wall with words of wisdom from John Wesley. I would like to share them with you as more food for thought this holiday season:
Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
To all the people you can
As long as you ever can.
I love this and will adopt this as my mission for 2009.
In the meantime, have yourselves a Merry Little Christmas and a joyous Hanukah celebration. I celebrate and honor all of you for all you have contributed to my life!
