Day 43.

It was the shortest, darkest day of the year, and I feel like hibernating.

I’m looking forward to the Christmas and Hanukkah lights ahead. I’m part of a blended family; I grew up celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas both. And this year, because the first night of Hanukkah is also Christmas Eve, I’ll be introducing my in-laws to the Festival of Lights. I’m really looking forward to sharing the story of victory over oppression, of reclaiming our culture, in the face of discrimination.

In addition to sharing the story of Judah Maccabee, saying the blessings over the Hanukkah Candles, playing dreidel, and eating jelly donuts, I’m going to share a couple of Hanukkah stories I picked up at our favorite bookstore.

Oskar and the Eight Blessings is set on another long-ago Christmas Eve/Hanukkah – in 1938, when a boy arrives in New York. He’s been sent by his family to escape Europe after Kristallnacht. He encounters eight people on his journey to meet his aunt, and finds that even in dark times, people can be kind. The book is a lovely story told with gorgeous pictures that give the effect of a black and white movie, and take the reader on a trip from the Battery up to Harlem. And yes, there is a Hamilton reference.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins tells the story of Jewish folk hero Hershel of Ostropol who outwits a group of goblins that stole Hanukkah from a small town. Hershel is fantastically clever and manages this heroic task without even the benefit of any latkes. This is a brilliantly written and illustrated tale that feels like a classic from the past, even though it’s only a few decades old.

These will be the boys’ first night gifts. And sharing Hanukkah with them, and with the rest of my family, will be mine.