There is only so much a Jew can do to survive Christmas. The well-known protocol is to binge eat chinese food on this Christian holiday. However, is shoving lo mein in your mouth and lighting the menorah candles enough to persevere through the season? Here are a few ways to get through the Christmas season remaining a Jew.

1.  Learn how to spell Christmas (I had to look it up)

When I am texting my friends to have a Merry Christmas, you have no idea what the struggle is to pass the autocorrect test. When I see the red line under the word, I click on it looking for a way out only to see that according to Apple, there are “no replacements.” Just memorize it like a spelling bee word and hope you get by.

2.    Figure out a movie list

I like Christmas movies just as much as the next person, but to cancel out all the Christianism (is that a word?), watch a Jewish movie to celebrate your heritage. Then again, it’s not easy finding one so I recommend “Rugrats Chanukah” or “Fiddler on the Roof” because it will bring you the Judaism feels.

3.        Enjoy some homemade potato latkes

Milk and cookies are great, but potato latkes are even better. Here’s a recipe via my grandma Mimi:

Ingredients:

4 medium sized potatoes

3/4 cup matzo meal

1 egg well beaten

Salt and pepper to your liking

1 large onion

¾ cup vegetable oil (might need to add as you go)

Procedure:

Heat frying pan with the oil until very hot **careful, oil may splatter**

Peel and grate the potatoes, then drain off excess water (potatoes tend to get wet through this process)

Peel and grate the onion

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl

Take a little of the mixture in your hand and form it to make a flat little pancake shape

Drop each pancake into the oil

Let brown, then turn over to brown the other side

Take them out of the pan and set them on a paper towel to let some of the oil drain off

Enjoy with sour cream or applesauce

4.       Go Hanukkah Caroling

I know, I know, caroling is more of a Christmas tradition, but we have enough songs in our Hanukkah repertoire to do it ourselves. Go out there and try a little “dreidel, dreidel, dreidel” harmony with some fellow Jewish friends and knock the socks right off the fireplaces.

5.     Play dreidel

Yes, those weird top spinning things have a meaning to them. Dreidel is a great game to play with friends and/or family. Here are the rules via MyJewishLearning:

1. Any number of people can take part.
2. Each player begins the game with an equal number of game pieces (about 10-15) such as pennies, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, matchsticks, etc.
3. At the beginning of each round, every participant puts one game piece into the center “pot.” In addition, every time the pot is empty or has only one game piece left, every player should put one in the pot.
4. Every time it’s your turn, spin the dreidel once. Depending on the side it lands on, you give or get game pieces from the pot. For those who don’t read Hebrew, some dreidels also feature a transliteration of each letter. If yours doesn’t, use the photo below as a cheat sheet:
5. a) Nun means “nisht” or “nothing.” The player does nothing.
6. b) Gimel means “gantz” or “everything.” The player gets everything in the pot.
7. c) Hey means “halb” or “half.” The player gets half of the pot. (If there is an odd number of pieces in the pot, the player takes half of the total plus one).
8. d) Shin (outside of Israel) means “shtel” or “put in.” Peh (in Israel) also means “put in.” The player adds a game piece to the pot.
9. If you find that you have no game pieces left, you are either “out” or may ask a fellow player for a “loan.”
10. When one person has won everything, that round of the game is over!

Through all of these methods, there is a guarantee survival of the holiday season. I know Judaism comes off as the minor holiday during the winter times, but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s get together, light the menorah, sing about dreidels, play dreidel, eat chinese and watch Rugrats! Happy Hanukkah everybody!