December 2, 2010 | 9:45 am

Happy Hanukkah – I’m Bleeding!

Posted by Ilana Angel

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Last night was the first night of Hanukkah.  It’s such a happy holiday.  It’s fascinating for a holiday that is so old, and seeped in such tradition, that nobody knows how to spell it.  If I get a dozen cards, from a dozen different people, each card will spell it differently.

My mom is in town and last night we went to dinner at a friend’s house.  She made a fabulous meal, we had a lovely drink, all the kids were there, and it was wonderful.  My friend is not a Jew by birth, but Jewish by association.  I love her and it was great to start the holiday with her and her family.

I am my father’s daughter.  I look like him, have his personality and sense of humor.  I have my mother’s feisty Israeli side, and it turns out, her low tolerance to booze.  My adorable little mother, who is not even 5’ tall, had a drink when we got to my friend’s house and within minutes was a little tipsy.

She is so cute.  She giggles and was adorable.  I look at my mom with a little booze in her and I can see myself.  We are a couple of lightweights.  So we are sitting in the kitchen, my mom is visiting, my friend is putting the finishing touches on dinner, and I am cutting a pineapple.

I am chatting and laughing and perhaps not paying as much attention as I should.  My friend’s husband is sitting with us in the kitchen, the kids are doing homework, the dog is wagging her tail, and as I am taking in the Norman Rockwell moment, I slice off the top of my thumb.

How many times have you been cutting something and thought to yourself, “I need new knives that are super sharp”.  I cook in my home everyday and so I say it quite often.  My knives are never sharp enough.  But not in her house.  This knife could cut through steel with no effort at all.

The pain was instant and horrible.  It was throbbing and I could have sworn I chopped off my entire thumb.  I’m gushing blood and convinced I am going to faint at any moment from blood loss.  My friend’s husband jumps into action and takes control of the situation getting a first aid kit.

He rinses my thumb and we see I have sliced off the top chunk of skin but it’s still attached and now has a stylish flap on it.  He cleans it, puts on antibacterial cream, a Band-aid, and tapes it tight.  I won’t lose my thumb, but I could have!  It really hurt and there was so much blood.

2010 will be remembered at the year I could not spin a dreidel.  You cannot properly spin a dreidel without the use of your thumb.  Of course it was my left hand that was injured, and I am right handed, but my right hand has decided to not spin in support of the left hand’s constant pain.

I will be fine, no stitches were required, and the Advil and margarita quickly took the edge off the pain.  Nothing says Hanukkah like 8 nights of throbbing thumb pain.  Thank you to my friend for a lovely dinner and to her fake doctor husband.  I’m giving them dull knives for Christmas.

I hope all of you who celebrate the holiday have a wonderful and joyous time, regardless of how you spell it.  I wish you all health and happiness, peace and love.  Happy Chanukah, Hannukkah, Chanukkah and Hanukkah!  Be safe, be kind, be generous to a stranger, and keep the faith.