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I have a confession…shhh, don’t tell anyone…ok…I really like Christmas songs, OK, I really, really like Christmas songs.  My husband gives me a hard time about this every year when he catches me secretly listening to holiday music.   “Shana!  We’re Jewish, we don’t celebrate Christmas!” he says and then makes fun of me….probably just to get me back for all the times I’ve given him a hard time for eating all that bacon.  “I know! But how many times can I listen to ‘I have a little Dreidel.’  This is ridiculous that we have no good songs! And it’s even more frustrating that so many of our musicians keep writing beautiful songs for Christmas but not Hanukkah.”

I think the real reason I really like the Christmas music is because, for the die-hard snow bunny that I am, it’s the one time out of the whole year that people celebrate snow and winter.  Most (non-religious) Christmas songs sing of sleigh bells, and glistening snow, and sparkling snow, and everything shimmering white.  Even Santa’s from the snowy North Pole!  I love it! It takes me to my snow-filled happy place.

But I knew my husband was right and I knew there just had to be some songs out there by musicians who felt the same way I did.  Let’s celebrate winter, let’s celebrate Hanukkah, let’s write new music!  So I went in search of some great, new wintery Hanukkah tunes and I actually found one!

Wanting to fill the musical void of Hanukkah songs, Gen X favorite (err, Technotini fave) Lisa Loeb has definitely delivered with her brand new song “Light.”  Lisa poetically captures the essence of Hanukkah and reminds us what the holiday is truly about….the miracle of Light!  During Hanukkah, we light the menorah to remind us that after the Temple was destroyed, the Jews found just enough oil for only 1 night.  (It would take 8 nights to journey to the nearest town to get more oil) And low and behold, the oil lasted for 8 beautiful nights!  This teaches us that if you can see light, you can see hope, and you can get through any difficult situation.  My grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, lived this wisdom and taught it to me as well.  And I know during my dark days going through breast cancer treatment, I would think about the blessings of light and know that I would get through it.  Hearing Lisa sing so poignantly about the miracle of Hanukkah reminded me of its true miracle and why we celebrate and remember.  This is the holiday that inspires us and empowers us and although we may only light the menorah 8 nights every year, their beautiful glow stays with us and can give us strength when we feel dark.

When we light the flame, let it rise, we’re reminded again.  Let it shine. Let the light shine. In the window.  When you think it’s almost gone, there is still hope.

So, while I still haven’t found a song about dancing in the snow and spinning dreidels on ice covered ponds, I found something that truly makes the season bright.

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