Some spell it “Chanukah” and others “Hannukah” … either way, you don’t have to be Jewish to celebrate hope and miracles (after all, isn’t that what the holiday season is all about?)
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: The lighting of the menorah is the “centerpiece” of the celebration of Chanukah, as it signifies the miracle and meaning of the holiday; for Red, it also represents memories and traditions, which may explain why she displays multiple menorahs, and while Black only has one menorah, there’s more than one reason why it’s displayed in her kitchen.
The burning of the menorah candles represents the one-day supply of oil that miraculously lasted eight days (hence why the holiday lasts eight nights). But Red lights two menorahs for sentimental reasons – one’s the menorah her daughters got from our mother, and the other’s one of her favorites (she got it in England decades ago).
But once the holiday starts, Red can truly enjoy what she considers the best part,
I love the food of Chanukah! It always includes a brisket dinner that I only make a couple of times a year, featuring my favorite side dish, potato latkes (pancakes) which, with applesauce, I could make a meal onto itself. And much like Thanksgiving, the leftovers are even better, which is perfect as we also celebrate the second night.
But Black doesn’t cook, so why would her menorah be in the kitchen? Isn’t it supposed to be displayed somewhere to remind you of the significance of the holiday (it may not be considered a major holiday, but the miracle represents the power of light to overcome darkness)?
The practical reason I have my menorah in the kitchen is the island has a stone countertop, and the menorah is the only thing on it – making it the safest place for burning candles (I do not like the electric ones). But, it also brings back memories of our father grating a counter full of potatoes until his knuckles were almost bare. (If I want latkes, I do it the easy way – I go to Kenny & Ziggy’s.)
Red started to write warm and fuzzy Christmas and holiday greetings, but Black said some things are worth repeating … like our simple Christmas post from 2023 (check out the movie clip) …
No matter what holiday you may celebrate, Red can’t help but quote a line from one of her favorite Christmas songs, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of sight.”
And Black can’t help but point out that the song wasn’t introduced in a Christmas movie but in the movie "Meet Me In St. Louis."
Wishing you a merry everything and a happy always!
Sadie Hawkins Day … some may find it sexist. Some may find it inspirational. Others just nostalgic. Our take on it hasn’t changed since we first issued this post. But if you asked Black for a car analogy (she always has one), she’d tell you it’s about taking the wheel and leading the way …
Comic strip or reality show: A group of bachelors participates in a foot race, and whoever's caught by the single woman in the race will become her husband.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: We may be sisters, but except for growing up with the same parents in the same house in New York, that may be where the similarities end; especially in terms of dating "protocol" as Black never thought twice about asking boys (and later men) out on a date, while Red never gave it any thought, accepting the convention that boys did the asking. (She did make an exception for her senior prom but was shocked when he accepted.)
When it comes to Sadie Hawkins Day, we both agree it's a quirky holiday that makes it "acceptable" for girls to ask out boys, but of course, we have very different perspectives. For Red, it conjures up images of Sadie Hawkins Day dances, although she never went to one and doesn't even remember how she knows about them. While Black's fascinated by how it all began with the cartoonist Al Capp and his popular "Lil' Abner" comic strip and quickly became a pop culture phenomenon.
Now, over 80 years later, if you were to analyze Sadie Hawkins Day, you would probably find it outdated and sexist. But why not just laugh at its silly beginnings and enjoy the day. The funny thing is Red still thinks men should ask out women, while Black always believed that every day's Sadie Hawkins Day.“A Dictator & His Mistress” might have been a catchier title, but that doesn’t change the fact that the combination of history and food makes this one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites. While Black loves the leadership lessons (from a dictator?!). Curious? If so, read on …
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."