Happy Chanukah!

There's almost nothing—earnest, irreverent, annoying—that can be said about Chanukah that hasn't already been said. Same statement probably applied 1500 years ago, a few decades after the holiday was inducted into the Jewish calendar.

Having once been been a student at a Jewish seminary (it's true—a three and a half week stint that a recruiter convinced would help me get an "MRS Degree") I do have some knowledge to share:

-It may be spelled "Hanukkah" by the AP Style book, but it's spelled "Chanukah" by my dad.

-The best traditional Chanukah song is "Chanukah, Oy Chanukah," sung by Theodore Bikel. The best Chanukah song at large is not the one by Adam Sandler (by far! ew!) but a medley sung by my friends over at Jewlicious.

-The object one lights on Chanukah is called a "Chanukia," not a "Menorah." A Menorah actually has one less candle post than a Chanukia, and was used primarily in the times before Chanukah to distinguish the days of the week.

-Latkes are super great no matter how you make them (here's a good looking recipe on Port Washington Patch) but they're even crispier when you throw a handful of flour into the mix.

Happy Chanukah to all our Jewish readers and friends (readers are our friends). But don't worry, there's something for everyone on this site! For our readers who celebrate Christmas, Pat Conti is talking to local fishmongers for some excellent recipes for the Seven Fishes tradition you may observe. And for the rest of us, there's Festivus! Join us this Thursday, Dec. 22, at . for our .