2019-12-22 - The Hanukkah Fairy

It’s the first night of Hanukkah, and Jewish kids everywhere are lighting candles and waiting impatiently for the time when presents can be opened. Ashira is no different in this regard, though this year is special — Ciprian has promised she can light the candles. So, as sunset approaches, she is quite impatient, looking out the window over and over as her father cleans up the kitchen. He watches her with growing amusement as she alternates between bouncing excitedly and trying to be still to prove that she is obviously old enough to be entrusted with the very important job.

Finally, she looks to her father and says, “Now?” There’s a little pleading in her voice, though it doesn’t tip into whining.

Ciprian swallows a laugh as he glances toward the window, then nods, putting the last dish away in the cupboard. “Okay,” he says, “I think you’ve waited long enough.” His daughter beams as he goes to get the menorah down from the shelf, setting it down where she can reach it as he grabs a lighter to light the shamash. “Be careful,” he cautions her as the flame catches. “Hold it from the bottom.”

“Okay,” she replies, and she takes the candle carefully, removing it from the holder and touching the wick to the first candle in the row. As she does, her father begins the blessings.

“Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam, asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav, v'tzivanu l'had'lik neir shel Hanukkah.“

They go through the rituals together, and as excited as she was for it to be time to begin, Ashira is relatively solemn throughout the proceedings. She doesn’t even look over at the gifts that have been sitting near the hearth for a few days, despite having been very interested in their contents up until now.

That doesn’t mean that she’s suddenly become a different person, however. As soon as they’re done, she looks up at her father, that anticipation creeping in again, and Ciprian laughs. “Go for it,” he confirms. “Don’t forget that these ones are from Erin, not me, so she gets all the credit.” Ashira lets out an excited laugh of her own as she starts toward the presents.

“Oh wow, look!” she exclaims as she opens the first to reveal a lamp in the shape of a carousel. “It’s like the one in the park!” She holds it up carefully so that her father can see, and Ciprian smiles, nodding to indicate his approval.



“Here,” he says, holding out his hands so that he can take it, “I’ll go set it up in your room while you open the other ones, okay?” 



“Okay,” Ashira confirms as she hands it over, watching her gift as he goes as though she’s making sure that her father doesn’t mishandle it. That would be terrible. 

When he comes back into the living room, she’s opened the others, and she is wearing two of them — a mermaid tail blanket, and a teal backpack with pink polka dots on it. She’s fiddling with a pink camera, as well, rugged-looking but still cute. “I love them,” she declares when he comes back. “Let’s take a picture to send to her!”

Her father watches her for a few seconds with a look that’s both fond and a little wistful, the kind of look that one might get when suddenly put in mind of how much time has passed, before he nods. “I think that’s a great idea.”