NEW YORK – Lighter Side of the Moon
As the Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins tonight, hospitals are already beginning to notice aa meteoric increase in the number of children with minor candle-related burns.
Bev Chalmers-Griffith, head of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai Hospital, and her staff struggled to deal with the influx of minor burn patients. “We’re just about to do the 6:30 shift change, and then this wave of crying grade-school kids with finger burns ran through the door,” she said.
Jessica Kornbaum was one of many of the children to check in at hospitals in the area with the same injury. “I just wanted to help light the menorah,” she said between bouts of intense weeping. “Matches are fun.”
Mike Kornblaum, Jessica’s father, was visibly distraught. “Yet another Kornblaum family holiday ruined,” he said. “This is our third Hanukkah in five years where we ended up in the hospital.”
But for Mr. Kornblum, this trend isn’t all bad news. “I just called my broker and bought stock in an electric menorah company,” he said.
According to industry surveys, Hanukkah is historically the second most dangerous Jewish holiday, after Purim.
The Lighter Side of the Moon 
Fortunately, due to years of excessive nose picking, I have built up a protective layer over my fingers. No menorah-related injuries here!