Christmas by the numbers
One of the best parts of being the roving reporter for the Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda is that I get to learn about so many subjects, and I get to use that knowledge to inform readers of things they might not have the opportunity to learn. Unfortunately, I did not fully understand the many and varied ways that Alamedans celebrate holidays on or around December 25, and this lack of awareness caused me to miss out on many treat opportunities. To make up for it, here is how I calculated Christmas by the numbers.
The Advent Calendar tradition covers 25 days of treats beginning on December 1. Thanks to Trader Joe’s for having the dog treat version of this tradition readily available right out of the box. Even my Human Companion (HC) figured out this one.
Then, there is the traditional Christmas Day activity where folks gather around a decorated tree and exchange multiple gifts with family and friends. In keeping with this tradition, I provided holiday stockings filled with multiple types of treats for my canine friends at the shelter. No gift exchange required.
Although I was a little late to the party, I was able to partake in some of the culinary aspects of another celebration called Hanukkah. This tradition involves lighting a candle and placing it in a holder—called a menorah, like the one next to the holiday tree in front of City Hall—for each of eight nights, along with getting a treat each night. Unlike a birthday celebration, you don’t need to make a wish and blow out the candle in order to get the treat.
Alameda had two public menorah lighting ceremonies, one at Washington Park, the other at South Shore Shopping Center. I did make it to the Washington Park event but had to go back to the car, because there were too many people for me.
However, before being banished to the car, I discovered there were tasty jelly donuts and something called a “latke,” which is similar to a potato pancake or fritter. I kept pulling my HC towards the table.
I could not stop obsessing on the food! I was so grateful to my HC for bringing a latke back to the car for me so I could participate in the festivities. He even grabbed a jelly donut for later.
Since I blew the coverage of the Washington Park event, my HC also left me at home for the South Shore Menorah. I was really bummed about missing out on this second lighting, because there were bagels and donuts there waiting for me!
I reached out to Rabbi Cynthia Minster from Temple Israel to get some background on this Hanukkah celebration. According to the Rabbi, the historical reason for Hanukkah was because “the Maccabees revolted against Greek-Syrian rule and rededicated the Temple to monotheistic worship.” The word “Hanukkah” means dedication.
The Lookstein Center provided some additional information. “In this rededication, the people of Israel attempted to light the Temple’s Menorah. They only found a single jug of olive oil that could be used, and miraculously, that small quantity of oil managed to keep the Menorah lit for eight full days.”
So, that explains about the eight days of candle lighting! Not sure how the jelly donuts fit into the historical basis of the celebration, but I am very happy they are part of the tradition. Ditto for the latkes. Special thanks to Rabbi Minster for providing the information on Hanukkah (or Chanukah; there are several accepted ways to spell it in English).
On New Year’s Day, I was listening to news on the radio, and a reporter was interviewing people to decide when the right time was to take down the holiday decorations. One person said that the twelfth day was the official end of Christmas based on the song The Twelve Days of Christmas.
My ears went straight up. WTF (what the fur) is that, and when does it start? According to the song, the first day of Christmas begins on December 25, runs for twelve consecutive days and involves getting exponentially more treats with each passing day, one treat on the first day and twelve treats on the twelfth day. I looked at the list, and none of the partridges, golden rings, or drummers drumming were at all appealing to me. I will be rewriting the song for next year with a canine point of view, starting with the first day. How about this: “🎶On the first day of Christmas, my HC gave to Mouf: a pig’s ear just for me.🎵”
In determining how long this canine will celebrate the holiday season next year, I am going to start on December 1 with the first treat in the T.J.’s Advent Calendar and end on January 5 with twelve Pup-Peroni Sticks. That will make a total of 36 days of treats, with double treats on Hanukkah days!
To finally close out my exhaustive coverage of this year’s holiday, I realized I had missed one of Alameda’s most iconic Christmas decorations! The palm trees along Burbank Street and Eighth Street were decorated with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer images made from the fronds of those same palms. It would not be an Alameda Christmas without the decorated palms!
Now that the holi-DAZE season has finally ended, I will file my 2024 Year in Review report next Sunday.
I hope 2025 will be a great year for you!
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos and videos by Jeff Cambra.
