In my family, Hanukkah was always the most highly esteemed holiday. Grandpa Yisrael, who arrived in this country as part of the Second Aliyah (wave of immigration), loved it because of the light and heat that came with it, and Grandma Sonia used to deep-fry "ties" of dough and then sprinkle sugar on them, to the delight of the children in Nahalal.