I'm new to this whole Hanukkah thing; we've really only been lighting the menorah regularly in the past few years. Before that, we might remember a night or two, but never all eight nights.
So I just have to know: does everyone bet on which candle is going to win? I mean, how can you not?
And secondary question: how do you define "win"? Is it the candle that burns out first, or last? I contend that the candle that burns out first is the winner, while TK holds that the candle that burns longest is the winner.
My position is that I'm being far more positive: of course the candles are racing to the finish line (being burnt out). Just watch 'em and you'll see...they want to burn out! If they're trying to stay lit longest, well, it's a Pyrrhic victory at best as even the last burning will soon succumb to the extinguishing of its flame.
And how come it's not the center candle that burns out first every time? It's lit first, it should go out first. And then the other candles should burn out from right to left, in the order they were lit. Why doesn't it work out that way? Can I please get completely uniformly sized and shaped candles? Are drafts of air in the house responsible for the different burning times? Has anyone ever studied the order in which Hanukkah candles burn out?
Do I think too much about this?
Well, I hope all of you who celebrate had a very happy Hanukkah this year!
The Balance by Neal Wooten
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Canus is a land in which three races of man live in precarious balance with
one another. The Fathers of the city in the sky, the Scavs (who call
themselv...
10 years ago
8 comments:
I'm going to squelch my geek side and not comment on the technical aspect of this. But I will comment that I find it hilarious that you bet on which candle will win!
PS. Can I get that egg bake recipe that isn't LOADED with butter and cheese? I am loving the idea of egg bakes but not the idea of the damage that egg bake did to my thighs and butt.
I contend that both the first and the last are winners in different categories.
But note that as a kid we definitely watched the candles and tried to guess which would burn out last. So I guess that I'm with TK on this one.
WELCOME!
You have officially gone crazy.
In our family, it was almost a given :)
Too funny -- I never heard of betting on the menorah candles before. (We lived a cloistered life here in the Midwest.)
Funny...Happy Hanukkah!
How funny. We're Greek Orthodox and every Easter we play this traditional game where 2 people bang the ends of hard boiled eggs together. I always argue that the one that breaks wins, because it symbolizes Christ breaking from the sealed tomb, while half the family insists that the one that doesn't break wins.
Nice to know we're not the only ones who are a bit irreverent.
Have a wonderful New Year. I've loved reading your blog!
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