Happy Hannukah!

Tomorrow night is the first night of Hannukah, and my parents are also coming on Saturday, along with my sister.
Hannukah is actually a really minor holiday in Israel. Elementary schools are closed for a full week, but high schools and Unis are only closed for one day. But all the stores and banks and such are open, like President's Day. Hannukah seems like a much bigger deal in the States because it coincides with the whole Christmas crap of shopping and blah blah blah. Actually, presents really don't happen for Hannukah in Israel.

On the other hand, they have other customs, besides lighting the candles. One fun one is the eating of Sufganiyot (Sufganiya singular). See wikipedia link here. Basically they are donuts, for all intents and purposes, that are eaten in the weeks before and during Hannukah. Apparently, there is a yearly tradition in the media and news to have articles dedicated to finding the best Sufganiyot (apparently Robino bakery in Tel Aviv is supposed to be good) as well as how unhealthy they are (500 to 800 calories each!)

Below is the photo taken literally 2 hours ago when I went to buy groceries from my local supermarket. Buy 5 and get one free, the sign says. They were about 2.50 shekels each, roughly 55 cents. I had one, it was really good, but not as fresh as I wanted it. The thing with Sufganiyot is that you are supposed to eat them warm, straight out of the oven. When they are fresh they are really really really good. When they aren't fresh they are just really good.