The good fortune that is Chanukah.

As we prepare to enter whole hog into this holiday season, I had a thought that I found worthy of sharing with you. You may not feel the same after finding out what that thought is, but then you'll never know if you don't continue reading, right? I promise, I'll be quick.

Me and my people (that's how we like to refer to ourselves; sometimes we like to call ourselves the Chosen People, but that's a whole other discussion) have been feverishly dusting off the menorahs, stocking up on multi-colored candles, and maybe even running around town trying to find enough chocolate gelt for our games of dreidel. All to prepare for the celebration of Chanukah (my preferred way of spelling it, but I'll also accept Hanukkah). Chanukah typically falls before Christmas, but it's start date varies, at least on the American calendar. On the Hebrew calendar, it always falls on the 25th day of Kislev (which you knew because you heard it in the Chanukah song from the Colbert Christmas special, admit it), and since the Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar, the first night of Chanukah (which typically falls in December), varies pretty wildly. Sometimes it's in early December, sometimes late December, but never, to my knowledge, has it started after Christmas.

I mention this to give you the foundation for the thought I found interesting enough that I had to share it with you: we Jews get our gifts earlier than Christians. At least we start to get them earlier. So we're luckier. Well, if you put aside the centuries of oppression and suffering, that is. For at least one week (plus one day) each year, we're the lucky ones. Yes, there aren't as many radio-friendly Chanukah songs as there are Christmas songs, though we do have Adam Sandler's contribution (in its various incarnations), and the newest entry from Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart (which I am still waiting to hear on the radio, hint, hint 98.3 and 106.7), but we get our gifts early. This year Chanukah starts on December 21st, and doesn't end until after Christmas, but we'll have 1/2 of our gifts safely liberated from their wrapping paper before good ole St. Nick drops off his goodies.

Not only do we start to get our gifts early, but we get eight nights of gifts compared to Christmas' one lone night. Yes, there's typically more work involved. I mean, we do have to light candles every night, which is a bit of added labor (not to mention an added fire hazard), but at least we don't have to lug home a tree and hang up (and later take down, hopefully before Spring) Christmas lights. I do recognize that, as Jon Stewart sings, it typically means we get one good gift, then a week of dreck (I think you're smart enough to figure out what that Yiddish word means; if not, Google it), but it still means at least eight gifts! Do you have that kind of guarantee with Christmas? I think not!

We also get the benefit of at least one day with absolutely no obligations, one on which we can be fairly sure that we'll be able to get good seats at whatever movie we want , as well as a nice quiet meal at our favorite local Chinese food restaurant. All while our Christian friends are home opening gifts, eating ham, and fighting with their families. Plus, sometimes our Christian friends invite us to their homes, so sometimes we even get a free meal! And, we don't have fruitcake.

So what I'm saying is that if you're one of my people, rejoice in your good fortune. Enjoy your neighbors' Christmas lights, wish them a happy holiday season, and thank them for the paid day off from work.