Christmas and Hanukkah in Haifa, Israel

[shain]

Haifa is the largest city in Northern Israel and is home to people of multiple religions and ethnicities, at this time of year, Christmas and Hanukkah are in proximity and Haifa is one of the few cities which mark the occasion with Christmas decorations and markets. Muslim holidays, having shifting Gregorian dates, also occur at this month on some years, and it is termed "the holiday of holidays" (well, at least by marketing people 😅).

 

Many snacks on sale - chestnuts and mulled wine, sure; but also knafeh; Saj flat breads (aka Druze pita) with labneh, or seemingly more popular, chocolate spread; warm ful (fava beans), lupin beans (turmus) and corn; a walking vendor selling plum juice, also french crepes, popcorn, hotdogs and very full resturants and cafes.

 

 

Note the Bahai gardens up the mountain. 

 

Knafeh was selling fast! 

 

Ful and lupins can be topped with cumin, spicy pepper, parsley and garlic-lemon juicy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't enjoy talking politics, but the political state in Israel this last month is quite worrying (more than usual, and that says much). I take this holiday scene as a reminder that we can set aside our differences and coexist in harmony. Diversity enriches our lives and should be celebrated. Happy Christmas, happy holidays

 

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by shain (log)

[Anna N]

@shain

thank you so much. I love the guy serving the juice with his plastic cup “bandolier”. Peace and joy to all. 

[Shelby]

5 minutes ago, Anna N said:

@shain

thank you so much. I love the guy serving the juice with his plastic cup “bandolier”. Peace and joy to all. 

I thought the same thing!

 

Thank you @shain.  Everything looks beautiful.  I hope that peace can remain!

[heidih]

Wonderful and I share your sentiments. Envious of all the treats on offer of course. I think of chesnuts as a cold weather crop. - where from? In my part of sunny Southern California I only see roasted ones for sale outside Korean markets - they use hot stones in a wide pan.  Looking forward to more!

[gfweb]

Reminds me of a past trip to Israel around this time of year. I was amazed to find Christmas decorations in a Tel Aviv (or was it Jaffa?) mall , as much as Hahnuka stuff almost 

[shain]

13 minutes ago, heidih said:

Wonderful and I share your sentiments. Envious of all the treats on offer of course. I think of chesnuts as a cold weather crop. - where from? In my part of sunny Southern California I only see roasted ones for sale outside Korean markets - they use hot stones in a wide pan.  Looking forward to more!

 

They are imported, perhaps from Turkey or Eastern Europe. Not very common here either, I've only ever seen them on sale in Christmas markets.

[shain]

15 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Reminds me of a past trip to Israel around this time of year. I was amazed to find Christmas decorations in a Tel Aviv (or was it Jaffa?) mall , as much as Hahnuka stuff almost 

 

Jaffa is also lovely this time of year, decorations in Tel Aviv itself are sparse. 

[rotuts]

@shain 

 

what a wonderful post.

 

a deep thank you.

[TdeV]

Beautiful photos. Thank you.

[Smithy]

Oh, how lovely! Thank you for a fun, inspiring and hopeful post.

 

This food text caught my eye:

7 hours ago, shain said:

Ful and lupins can be topped with cumin, spicy pepper, parsley and garlic-lemon juicy.

 

Ful I know (in fact, I have a couple of cans in my pantry) but to me lupins are a flower...a lovely but aggressive plant, with wildly dispersing seeds once their pods start to pop. I don't know it as a food source for humans. Are we talking about the same thing? If so, what part of the plant?

[Tropicalsenior]

Beautiful images. I'm always amazed at the strength of the Israeli people and their ability to create such beauty in such a barren and turbulent place. I wish you peace and safety and I look forward to all your wonderful contributions in the coming year.

[shain]

4 hours ago, Smithy said:

Oh, how lovely! Thank you for a fun, inspiring and hopeful post.

 

This food text caught my eye:

 

Ful I know (in fact, I have a couple of cans in my pantry) but to me lupins are a flower...a lovely but aggressive plant, with wildly dispersing seeds once their pods start to pop. I don't know it as a food source for humans. Are we talking about the same thing? If so, what part of the plant?

 

Yes, those are seeds of some lupin flower variety, which is a legume. It has to be soaked and boiled to remove its toxicity. The texture is somewhat firm and snappy, a bit like edamame but firmer and a tad starchy. It can be bought in canned form, but I've never seen it sold raw. 

Edited December 28, 2022 by shain (log)