Whenever we talk about holidays, my mother teases my sister and me about how we "make out like robbers". She is referring to the fact that we are half Jewish and half Indian, so we receive gifts on both the festivals of lights—Hanukkah and Diwali. Though my mother teases us, I do not mind getting two sets of gifts!
Hanukkah is celebrated on the 25th day of the Jewish month, which is usually sometime in December. On Hanukkah, like most Jewish families, we light a menorah(烛台) and say a prayer each night. We also say a special prayer on the first night. After that, it is a tradition for my sister and me to do ‘hot and cold' for our hidden Hanukkah gifts. When we walk towards the gift, our parents say 'hot' and when we walk further away, they say ‘cold'. We each receive one present every night of Hanukkah. Another part I like about this holiday is seeing family members who we do not see often. My aunt usually stays for a few days, and we sometimes visit other relatives.
Diwali is celebrated on the 13th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Ashwin(October / November). To celebrate Diwali, my family does a pooja, or prayers, in honour of the goddess Lakshmi. Since she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, the pooja includes washing silver coins in milk and water. In India, people decorate their houses with lamps, similar to the way you might light up your house for Christmas. My family just places a few candles outside. We also set off firecrackers, which is my favourite part. We often do this activity with friends to add to the excitement.
Both holidays have different histories and stories. We celebrate them in different ways, yet they both have the same meaning. And they both mean family and presents for me!
