It's time for another challenge time! This challenge will consist of... that's right! A CONTEST!!! This is my first contest on my blog, so bear with me here.
The contest is an essay explaining your family's traditions during the year, during holidays, etc.! Essays can be sent to my e-mail in .pdf or .doc and I will judge for the best one!
Things I will be looking for:
- Interesting information
- 3 of your family's traditions
- Details about each tradition
- A little bit of commentary and your thoughts on each tradition
And now, the PRIZES!
There will be three winners. The top three winners will receive a signed autograph of me and their essay will be featured on my blog! If you win and would not like the prize, that is okay also.
The deadline for this contest ends on March 31st!
Good luck to all and I hope for a lot of people to enter!
There is an example of an essay I'd like to see that was actually one that I did for school which I had gotten a 78/80 on (and yes everyone, I am Jewish!!!)
Hanukkah is a very unique holiday that Jews around the world choose to celebrate during the winter season. On Hanukkah, my family eats traditional food, enjoys the company of relatives and other Jews, and opens presents.
Around the time that most other families are putting up their trees for Christmas, my family begins celebrating Hanukkah in the comfort of our house making and eating many holiday treats, snacks, and meals. One of the most traditional foods of this holiday is a latke, which is a deep-fat-fried potato pancake. These scrumptious treats may be enjoyed with sour cream or applesauce. I enjoy eating latkes with ketchup because it makes them taste like french fries. Another well-known treat of Hanukkah is gelt, which is a chocolate candy wrapped in gold foil and in the shape of a coin. These candies are frequently used during the holiday game of Dreidel as a source of “money” for gambling. Gelt used to throw a party on my taste buds, but now they seem to be as tasteless as water. Latkes and gelt are the most commonly spoke of and consumed foods on Hanukkah.
After everyone in the family is done eating, it is time to start the festivities that begin Hanukkah. Dreidel is a fun game that doesn’t require any skill – just luck – where players take turns trying to win gelt. One player at a time spins a dreidel, which is a four-sided top that has a different Hebrew letter on each side. Whichever Hebrew letter it lands on determines all players’ actions. Each action is as follows: ה means take half of the pot, ש means put an extra gelt into the pot, נ means do nothing, and ג means take all in the pot. As the game progresses and the dreidel gets passed to me, I love the feeling of seeing that ג facing towards the sky and taking all of the gelt in the pot. In addition, dancing is another activity enjoyed on Hanukkah by many families. People hold hands and karaoke in a circle to the tune of Hava Nagila, which is also known as the Hora theme song. My family does not do this at home; instead, we go to my temple, which is similar to a Christian’s version of a church. The congregants form a big circle in the social hall to dance the Hora. These are some of the many creative and unique ways to celebrate Hanukkah, including playing Dreidel and dancing the Hora.
Throughout the eight days of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, children receive many presents. Each day, the presents increase in value, leaving the “best” gift for last. Traditionally, eight total presents are received, but extras may come as well from relatives. As many people find it to be disrespectful to buy me gift cards for Hanukkah, I love them because they allow me to buy what I desire. Games are incorporated when finding presents such as “Hot and Cold” which adds suspense. It has become a tradition in my family to seek for presents around the house. This game can get frustrating at times as my house has a lot of space for hiding presents and the game can take a long time. There is no doubt that a child will not be dissatisfied when opening their presents.
In conclusion, Jews love rejoicing on Hanukkah around the world. The Festival of Lights can be a very meaningful holiday with delectable foods, wonderful family gatherings, and generous presents.
