When I was a young woman I was invited to my first Passover. So many things about this holiday struck me – the family spirit of the celebration, the rituals, the camaraderie and, of course, the delicious foods. One thing that has stayed with me since that first experience was that everyone there (adults and children) seemed to want to belong to this “community,” – a community of heritage more than religion – but they didn’t all know the prayers or songs, though they longed to.
Celebrating Passover: tradition, food and community
Having our Cake (and eating lots of it too)
If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that we celebrated three birthdays in our family this past week – my youngest son, my daughter and me. Birthdays celebrations have always been a big deal for my husband and me – from the very beginning when he was just my boyfriend. Back then, he would come home in the evening and tell me to go in the other room and wait for him to let me know when it was “safe” to come back. I would hear him wrapping presents and blowing up balloons, it was so darn sweet I (almost) didn’t even need any presents. So began the tradition …
All You Need is Love … and Maybe a Little Creativity
With Valentine’s Day only a few days away, I’ve been thinking about my history with this holiday – specifically how my husband, Michael, and I have celebrated over the years.
Our first few (well … many) years together, I didn’t have any money for expensive gifts. Instead, I got creative. One year, I bought a nice pair of men’s dark socks and convinced my sister to stitch his initials on the band at the top. Another year, I gave him (because he’s a doctor) a picture of an X-ray of ribs with a photo-shopped (not medical) heart in the right spot.