When it comes to Chanukah I really am a Grinch. There are so many things I don’t like about the holiday, that it makes me rather grumpy.

First there is all that messing about with oil and lights and trying to find the safest and halachicly best place to put the menorah (and the stress of keeping the kids away from it until it has stopped burning).

Then there are the sufganiyot! The only thing worse than a jelly donut is a jelly donut with a green plastic bag baked inside, which I once managed to purchase in the Shuk! They look and taste so yummy, yet they are so so wrong!

Then the day just seems to disappear. In Israel most things stop half way through the day so everyone can go home to light. Learning, working, doing errands – all put on hold while lighting takes place. And after that (and after the candles have burned out) it is too dark and there have been too many donuts, and nothing else can happen.

And the dreidel game, which nobody really understands, yet the kids manage to fight over anyway. (and now you can get dreidels which not only cause fights, but also play music while they are doing it!)

And finally there are presents. Who invented presents for Chanukah? (At least we don’t have the man in the big red suit – or Eliyahu HaNavi as we like to call him). And so much junk food and so many hyper kids and … and… and…

I know, it is a religious festival, and the lights of Chanukah are supposed to keep us burning through the darkness of exile, etc. etc. (and don’t forget the message that all secular learning and knoweldge and music is ‘Greek’ and we have to destroy it – nothing to do with Chanukah, but usually included in every d’var torah).

Anyway, this year, something exciting. The people at Oh! Nuts have put together some wonderful Chanukah packages, to help you survive the eight long days. You don’t have to go out to brave the crowds to keep your kids (and friends, and neighbours’ kids and their friends) entertained – all you do is go to their website and stock up with chocolate and nuts, and even the ‘color a cookie dreidel’. They have enough chocolate money for a Rockerfeller (or should that be Rothschild) and tons of special Chanukah gift ideas and packages. And of course everything is under kosher supervision.

You can even send a gift to a friend without leaving your computer!

And best of all, they are offering readers of this blog a 10% discount on all purchases!

So, go visit Oh! Nuts and tell them you know me, and you want your discount please. Alternatively, Use this code HBP1118 for your 10% discount.

Enjoy. I feel better (and less Grinch-like) already. Ahh, chocolate!