Summer time may be long gone, but that doesn’t mean ice cream has to disappear with it! Holiday pie wouldn’t be the same without a scoop of delicious ice cream! On December 13 we celebrate Ice Cream Day Worldwide. Go out and grab a pint of your favorite flavor!

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Following such a delicious day is a very important holiday. December 16 starts the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. For eight days, there is a celebration to commemorate the rededication of the holy temple in Jerusalem. The first day of Hanukkah changes every year, as it marks the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar.

There are a few wonderful traditions that come along with Hanukkah. Mainly: lighting the eight candles, eating oil-based foods and playing with a dreidel. The tradition of eating oily foods during this celebration derives from the oil that was used to keep the candles burning in the temple during the eight days. It was a tiny flask that lasted over a week, said to be a miraculous event and thus commemorated with the observance of Hanukkah. Some traditional foods eaten during this time are potato pancakes known as latkes and jam filled doughnuts known as fritters. Both of these items are deep fried in oil.

Along with traditional food, there is the well-known game of dreidel, commonly associated with the Jewish holiday. The dreidel is a children’s toy with four sides that spins. Each side has a Hebrew letter on it, referring to the miracle of the oil in the temple. The story behind the dreidel is that the Jewish people created the game to hide the fact that they were studying the torah (Hebrew bible), when soldiers would come the Jews would hide their Torahs and pretend they were gambling.

Everyone has his or her own traditions and celebrations, take this time to share season’s greetings with friends and family. Embrace the differences we share and make this holiday season a warm and happy time!