Menorahs and Mandel Bread

Today's Holidailies random prompt is:

Write about an experience you've had with a holiday tradition outside your own. (For example, if you celebrate Hanukkah, what experience do you have with Kwanzaa? If you celebrate Christmas, share a memory of Hanukkah.)

My first roommate in college was Jewish; I was on the downslope of being a practicing Catholic. Sue (for that was her name) was going to light the candles on her menorah during Hanukkah and she invited me to participate. I did happily. So every night in our dorm room, the two of us lit the candles and said the blessings.

That same year, Sue's grandma sent her a shoebox full of homemade mandel bread. She offered me a piece, I tasted it, and fell in love. Luckily, Sue was a very generous and lovely person and totally shared her stash of deliciousness. Just a week or so later, I received my own shoebox full of mandel bread from Sue's grandma. Sue had told her of my love for the crumbly cookie, so Grandma made some for me, too!