The Light from My Menorah: Celebrating Holidays Around the World

A young boy sits at his window watching the glow of his Hanukkah menorah, wondering where the light goes when it leaves his house. He imagines it travels far away, “in pastures, fields,/ and forests.” Later, the light shines up mountains, into space, down into a desert, across shimmering water, past tables set for dinner, and onto an evergreen tree before returning to his menorah.

Unfortunately, except for the menorah and a brief mention of Hanukkah (see “Excerpt” above), the other light-focused holidays are not mentioned or explained at all in the main text, leaving Blinick’s colourful digital art the heavy task of depicting these inferred celebrations. A St. Lucia Day celebration is portrayed amidst “waking animals in pastures, fields, and forests;” the Loy Krathong spread is described as “light on shimmering water;” a Diwhali commemoration is represented by people sitting around many lights; and Kwanza is described as “tables, floors, and mats where I’ve never sat.” Readers will no doubt recognize the Christmas tree, although it is small and relegated to a corner.

Blinick’s art is appealing, filled with cozy interior scenes and a luminous yellow thread of light that travels around the world, contrasting nicely with the inky night. And, although it’s unclear what holidays (if any) are represented by the mountain, outer space, and desert spreads, they are pleasant to look at and do successfully reflect the text. Appended with a final spread offering some information about the conjectured holidays, The Light from My Menorah is attractive but ultimately disappointing.