Hanukkah
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      Christmas

The holidays are over but the boxes linger on.  The CHRISTMAS boxes linger on, and on, and on.
I am now 7 years into celebrating Christmas.  It is my partner's favorite time of year.  I have moved from being anti-Chistmas in my home to what I will call a "soft embrace" of Christmas decorations and all that is Christmas.  But what I am still having a hard time with is the clean up.

Hanukkah: you put the menorah candles and some dreidels in a box, and put it away for next year - Shalom!

Christmas:  First comes the tree.  Ornaments off and rewrapped.  Families seems to have long-standing traditions around how best to do this. Then there is the joy of dragging the dead tree out to the curb.  Let us not forget the trail of pine needles that, even after numerous vacuuming and sweeping, will plague the house for the next few months.

Next is all the other Christmas displays in our home:  stuffed animals and angels, all sitting comfortably on a blanket of fake snow.

And finally, putting the furniture and house back the way it was before the holiday.

I am happy I have found a way to share in my sweetie's love of Christmas, but I must say, the Christmas clean-up, I do not think I will find a way to love that.