A Hanukkah Tradition

As of last night, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is now upon us. Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays because my extended family celebrates it each year with a big party! This party is probably my family's longest-running holiday tradition, and I look forward to it every year.

Our Hanukkah party tradition started back in 1955 when some members of my family decided to celebrate the holiday together. That first Hanukkah party had just six attendees: my grandparents, my father (who was an infant at the time), my great aunt and uncle, and their three-year-old son. They continued to celebrate Hanukkah together every year thereafter, and the number of attendees grew considerably over time. Dozens of family members now attend the party each year, and many of them travel long distances just to come to this great celebration.

As you would probably expect with any holiday party, our Hanukkah celebration includes lots of food and gift-giving. We also conduct an informal ceremony in which we light the menorah, recite the prayers, and talk about the meaning of the holiday. Some other aspects of the party are more unique, such as our annual children's talent show and the improvisational skit that my great aunt directs. The skit is typically based on a well-known children's story, and this year's skit will be a reenactment of Peter Pan. Because the skit is improvisational, it is always very entertaining and incredibly funny!

Here's hoping the Hanukkah lights burn brightly for many years to come!

Vocabulary

Extended family (noun) - a family group that consists not only of parents and children but also of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

Attendee (noun) - someone who is at an event such as a meeting, party, or concert

Thereafter (adverb) - after a particular event or time, afterwards

Considerably (adverb) - a lot, much

Informal (adjective) - relaxed and friendly without being restricted by rules of correct behavior

Menorah (noun) - a candle holder used during the holiday of Hanukkah

Recite (verb) - to repeat the words of something such as a song, poem, or prayer

Improvisational (adjective) - done or performed without preparation

Skit (noun) - a short humorous performance

Reenactment (noun) - a performance of an existing story or past event

 Vocabulary Practice

1. We light the _________ during the eight nights of Hanukkah.

2. The musicians didn't have time to practice, but their _________ performance was very good.

3. Next week, some local historians will perform a __________ of a Civil War battle.

4. In some cultures, it is common for _________ to live together.

5. Our parties are usually relaxed and _________.

6. The two brothers had a big fight and did not speak to each other for years __________.

7. Last year, our class wrote and performed a funny _________.

8. I am going to _________ a poem by Taylor Mali.

9. The president was an _________ at the meeting.

10. My new house is _________ larger than my old one.

Grammar Point

The -ee suffix is often added to verbs to indicate who is the object of the verb (receiver of the action), or the subject of the verb (doer of the action). The resulting words are nouns, such as attendee (note its use in this blog entry) and addressee.

Grammar Point

Write three sentences containing nouns with the -ee suffix. For each one, also indicate the original verb from which the noun is derived. If you need help finding words with this suffix, use http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/ee.htm to help you get started.