A Reason to Celebrate
Title: A Reason to Celebrate
Rating: K+
Beta: enviousxbeauty
Summary: Casitel celebrates his favorite holiday with the Winchesters.
Author's Note: I beta. Alot. So I know what fic's are going to be posted and what isn't. So far-- I've only seen Christmas stories. :P So here's my own holdiay ficlet for y'all to enjoy.
A Reason to Celebrate
Dean glared at the vending machine outside his and Sam’s motel room. He kicked it and waited for it to work. Castiel appeared next to him. Dean, who was used to the unsettling appearances for the most part, regarded Castiel warily. “What’s up?”
The angel smiled softly. “It’s the first night, Dean. I’d thought you’d want to come celebrate with me.”
“What?” Dean stepped back from Castiel. “What’s tonight?”
“Hanukkah.” Castiel held out his hand. “Do you want to celebrate with me?”
Dean thought about it briefly. “Sure…”
Castiel’s eyes lit up. “Where’s Sam? Will he be fine with it??”
Dean pointed to the motel room, a few feet away. “In there, researching or something. And yeah, he’ll agree to it.”
Castiel looked at the motel then back to Dean. “Then let’s go get the menorah, and light the candles here.”
Dean hesitated. “Let’s be quick, I don’t want Sam to freak.”
Castiel nodded and touched Dean’s forehead. They appeared in a small bookshop, briefly disoriented. “Where are we?” Dean asked as he looked around the abandoned store.
Castiel walked towards the back room. “My friend, Aziraphale runs the shop. He lets me keep some of my more personal items here.”
Castiel opened the storage room. “Come help me with this and we can go!”
Dean held his arms out as the angel handed him various odds and ends. As Dean juggled, he wondered aloud, “Is all this necessary?”
Castiel flashed him a sly smile before he turned to survey the room. “Okay, let’s go back to the motel.”
With a touch they arrived back in the motel room. Startled, Sam bolted upright and slammed his laptop shut. “What’s going on guys?”
Dean set the items down on the table. “Cas wants to celebrate Hanukkah tonight.”
Sam scratched his head. “Okay, sure… but why?”
Castiel looked at them. “Do you guys know the story of Hanukkah?”
Dean shook his head. Sam stood beside him straightening the nine-pronged candlestick holder, the menorah. Dean was handing him candles to fill in.
Castiel took the candles. “No, guys- It’s only the first night. We only need two candles. The shamash in the middle, which lights the other candles, and the candle for the first night.”
Dean stuck two candles into the menorah as instructed. One in the middle and one on the far left. “Okay,” he said he made sure the candles stayed in place, “got it. What’s the story?”
Castiel beamed. “I think you’ll like this-a powerful king tries to oppress a small group of people.” He shifted his eyes from Sam to Dean as he remembered the events he’d witnessed so long ago. “But they fought back- they rebelled. And even though they had a smaller army, only a few weapons, they still kicked his royal ass.”
Dean raised an eyebrow. “That sounds sort of familiar.”
Sam pointed to the menorah. It was pure silver and had eight branching arms. They were curved, sharply decorated with ornate petals and intricate details. “What’s this for then?”
Castiel looked down at his favorite menorah nostalgically. “After the Greeks had completely ransacked the Jewish temple for two years, the Jews won like I said. They went back to their holy temple and lit the sacred menorah as it was meant to be. They only had enough oil to light it for one day, and they needed a week to make more so it would stay lit. Luckily, the oil lasted long enough until the rest was made- eight days in fact.”
Sam nodded. “So the holiday lasts for eight nights?”
“Yes.” Castiel said as he picked up the matches. He struck it and lit the middle candle. Dean started to talk, but Castiel hissed, “shh!” as he lifted the candle.
He used the shamash to light the candle for the first night. After he set the shamash back into place, he chanted aloud- “Baruch ata Adonai …”
He completed the prayer and looked up at Sam and Dean. They both said “Amen” together.
“Cool.” Sam smiled watching the dancing flames. “What else do we do?”
“We eat.” Castiel smiled. “Latkes.”
“Is it food?” Dean asked cautiously.
Castiel winked and snapped his fingers. The platter on the table filled with hot potato pancakes. “Yes, they’re really delicious.”
Sam sat down at table; he picked up one of the latkes. “It smells good…”
“That’s enough proof for me.” Dean said as he reached over and picked one up. He took a bite and grinned. “Damn, Cas! These are delicious!”
Castiel picked up one of the latkes and dipped it in the bowl of applesauce beside it. He munched on the latke and nodded. Sam watched them and then took a big bite out of his. He gave the thumbs up to Castiel.
Castiel clapped his hands together. “This is my favorite holiday.”
Sam brushed the crumbs from his hands. “Anything else you want to do?”
Castiel looked at the assorted items. “Ah ha!” he declared as he snatched up the spinning top. He held it out in front of the brothers. It was a four-sided top that had a small stem that could be spun with as easy as snapping. He dropped it into Dean’s palm. “It’s a dreidel.”
Sam leaned over Dean’s shoulder as they looked at the letters on each side, נ-ג-ה-ש. “That’s so cool.” Sam breathed.
Castiel pointed to the Hebrew. “It’s an acronym.” He said turning it over in his hand. “Nun-Gimmel-Hey-Shin. Four Hebrew letters. Know what they mean?”
“No.” Dean said taking it to inspect it further.
“A great miracle happened there.” Castiel said seriously.
Dean looked up. “Really? What’s it for?”
“Gambling.” The angel deadpanned.
Dean looked into Castiel’s mischievous blue eyes. “Bring it.”
Sam, eating another latke, yelled, “Deal me in!”
Castiel handed them each a small bag of chocolate coins he’d brought and sat down at the table. He took the dreidel from Dean and pointed to the first letter. “This is nun, it means nothing. This one,” he said as turned over the face, “is gimmel, it means you get the pot. The next is hey, it means you get half the pot. The last letter, shin means you have to put one coin in.”
He took the dreidel’s stem and held it with his thumb and index finger. With a twist, he sent the dreidel flying across the table top. It spun in a tight circle before landing on its side. Castiel shrugged. “See, it landed with the nun facing up. I’d get nothing and then you spin.”
Sam dumped some of the coins into the center of the table. He pushed several towards Dean and Castiel. “Alright,” he smiled, “then let’s play.” He picked up the dreidel and carefully imitated Castiel’s motions, but as he let it fly it merely flopped on its side. Squinting at it, he asked, “Is that hey?”
“Yes.” Castiel nodded. “You get half the pot.”
“Sweet.” Sam smiled as he scooped up half the chocolate coins.
Dean glared at him and took the dreidel. With grim concentration he spun the dreidel, sending it spinning in angry circles as it whizzed off the table’s edge. As Dean bent down to pick it up, he announced, “Nun. Damn.”
Castiel took the dreidel from him. “Don’t worry, it’s not that hard.” With a flick of his wrist, he spun.
As they continued to play Dean watched greedily, but to his dismay, this was one gambling game he couldn’t beat. Sam laughed as his own pile of gold grew. And Castiel, as he spun the dreidel, paused to look over at the menorah. The candles of the first night were almost gone, but he decided, this was one of the best starts to Hanukkah he’d had in awhile. Dean shouted his name and he returned to the game with his friends.
And while we are playing
The candles are burning low
One for each night, they shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago
-“Oh Hanukkah”-
the end
And also, as a special treat is the Jewish Community Center's ice menorah, lit up for the third night.
Puls: Giant deidel pinata.
Happy holidays!