Day 18 There is Room at My Table

It is the fourth Sunday of Advent as well as the first day of Hanukkah. I just learned about the celebration of Hanukkah, so I am eager to share. Hanukkah is the Jewish celebration of light. When warriors recaptured the temple in Jerusalem in 164 bce and sought to relight the menorah, they only found enough lamp oil for one day. However the menorah stayed lit for 8 days, until more ceremonial oil was available. The nine candle menorah is ceremonial. There are also 7 candle menorahs but they are representative of the menorah in the old temple and my understanding is they're not ceramonial. The center candle is the 'helper', used to light the other candles. The first candle is placed on the right; each additional candle is placed from right to left. However, they're lit from left to right. The title of my piece: There is Room at My Table refers to my feeling that no matter your religious belief, there is room for you here. There are so many people I love from all over the world and "all over the map" in their spiritual thinking; I enjoy learning from them.

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