Blended Family

Christina Burgos

I come from a city where diversity exists everywhere you look. From the moment you step foot outside your door, you can usually see a wide variety of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Which city is this that I speak of you may ask? Why it is the beautiful "City That Never Sleeps, New York City!"

I was born and raised in New York City. Here you come across so many different cultures and learn a lot from others who are different from you. I myself come from a family where we welcome different cultures, religions and beliefs. One example of this is the relationship I have with my sister in-law. My half-brother is half Puerto Rican, German and Irish. He “blended” (as I like to call it) his family and married into a Jewish family. Although my sister in law is Jewish, and she celebrates and acknowledges her customs, she also has incorporated our family traditions as well. During the holiday season she incorporates our Christian celebrations (ex. Christmas), and we incorporate hers, which is Hanukkah.

Hanukkah is known as the Jewish Festival of Lights. It is normally celebrated in November or December. “The celebration dates back to two centuries before Christianity began, and lasts for eight days”. “The word ‘Hanukkah’ means dedication, and honors one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history” (Metro). As the story goes, it is said that the Jewish people were under the rule of a cruel Greek empire, they took property, banned the “Torah” which is like their bible and oppressed the Jewish people. Then a small band of men lead by and also known as the Maccabees fought back and eventually won. The miracle they refer to comes from the fact that the Greeks made oil that didn't last long.  The Jews found one barrel of good oil and thought it would only last one night, instead to their surprise it lasted for eight nights.

The celebration of Hanukkah is based on the lighting of a Menorah (best compared to as a candle holder) that has nine branches. “On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown; the ninth candle, called the Shamash (“helper”), is used to light the others.” (History.com) Jews normally recite blessings while lighting the candles, then they display the menorah in a window as a reminder to others of the miracle that inspired the holiday. During this time the children and adults often take part in a traditional game involving a Dreidel, a Dreidel has four sides with a Hebrew letter on each side. The player is to spin the Dreidel and depending on which side the Dreidel lands the players then give or take pieces from a pot.

This is just one example of how amazing New York City is when it comes to the diversity and uniqueness of each individual.

Work Cited

Metro.co.uk, Imogen Groome for. “What is Hanukkah and why is it celebrated?” Metro, 23 Dec. 2016, metro.co.uk/2016/12/23/what-is-hanukkah-and-why-is-it-celebrated-6341546/. Accessed 30 Aug. 2017.

History.com Staff. “Hanukkah.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah. Accessed 30 Aug. 2017.