not the kind of message I was expecting...

brownboy66

ok...so I've been in India for 4 months (so far this time), and this is a new one for me - so just curious as to whether or not its typical, customary, regional, provincial, urban, cosmic, quirky, completely out of left field, or just an every day thing.

Purchased a childs gift at a toy store and the assistant kindly offered to gift wrap it. Lovely job - the wrapping paper says "happy hanaka" - from Snoopy no less! So the questions are:

1) can I give a gift to a person saying "happy hanaka" if they aren't Jewish (presumably it's happy birthday)
2) Is Snoopy Jewish? and does it even matter if you want to wish someone happy hanaka?
3)Is there a whole line of cartoon wrapping paper out there celebrating different festivals (i.e Does Garfield wish people a happy Diwali - and why not)!

just wondering.....

Nick-H

First rule of Indian business: Waste Nothing!

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New-South-Welshman

Haha. Gold. With my experience from friends' Indian mothers, they gift wrap birthday presents in Christmas wrapping, so I think the wrapping is not important, but that it is wrapped. Haha. Once again, gold.

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iloveindia1234

"Hanaka" well...the dictionary dosent have that word
maybe someone will be able to answer this

New-South-Welshman

Maybe Snoopy is called Hanaka in India? And he is happy.

brownboy66

I'm pretty sure its suppose to be "happy hanukkah" (aside from Snoopy and Linus (?) playing the piano - there is a star of david patten all over it). oh - the other surprise at this toy store...the fully automatic, gas powered, M16 replica BB gun was cheaper than the transformer toy I brought!!!!

ananda2193

Chanukah, Chanukkah, Hanukah, Hanukkah: A Jewish festival beginning on the 25th day of the month of Kislev and lasting 8 days. It commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians in 165 b.c. and the rededication of the Temple at Jerusalem. Also called "Feast of Lights," "Feast of Dedication."

karthik_mitta

Its the wine we are interested in, not the bottle... we indians care about the content

Go ahead.. make sure its a nice toy!

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KM

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Noodle

Quite right!

brownboy, it's not a birthday greeting, it's a festival some time around Xmas.

But really, it doesn't matter ....

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brownboy66

wow! Thanks for that - its not everyday I learn something new

brownboy66

of course - you're quite right. If, however, someone would have told me that one day I would be New Delhi getting a transformer toy wrapped in Snoopy and Linus wrapping paper celebrating a jewish holiday around about Xmas, in a store that also sold unlicensed replica M16 BB guns (that incidentally were 200 rupees cheaper) - I probably would have slapped them and told them to snap out of it!

you just gotta love the uniqueness of the experience....

bariloche

You'd certainly know what hannukah was if you lived in New York for any time. In NY they don't wish you a "Happy Christmas" (you may not be Christian) you are told "Have a Happy". The banks don't just have Christmas Saving accounts they also have Hannukah Savings accounts.

Diana

That sums up the India experience exactly.

Similarly had I been told I would one day be caught squabbling with an Indian woman--who had just hopped off the back of a motorcycle she'd been riding side-saddle in a saree(something I finally learned to do: GREAT for the tummy muscles)--at a vegetable stall cum paper seller in Kunnamkulam over the just realized British version of the latest "Harry Potter" book...while holding a giant tapioca root like a newborn child, well...yes, some slapping might have taken place.

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Aishah

I don't think Snoopy is Jewish, but he's universal so you could just as easily have Snoopy saying Happy Divali!! Just read your story and had a good laugh - make sure the child recycles the paper for the next gift - Divali, Christmas, New Year whatever..!!

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