Hanukkah — The Festival of Lights Most of you probably can’t imagine not having Christmas to look forward to every year, but for millions of people — including me — December 25 is just another day on the calendar. I grew up in an area that was predominantly Jewish, so although some homes sported Christmas lights and Christmas trees, we never felt like we were missing anything. Besides, we had Hanukkah. Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah isn’t celebrated at the same time each year, an

Thanksgiving has historically been the most cherished holiday in my family, perhaps because its focus is food — and my mom is a fantastic cook. From as far back as I can remember, we always had Thanksgiving at our house, inviting our few local relatives as well as friends without family in the area. I have so many memories around Thanksgiving — far too many to note here — so here are a few highlights from over the years: Mom’s top oven gave her some trouble one year; I believ