I first realized that when a minister I interviewed here told me, ``I'm real fond of your race.''

I'm not devoutly religious, but I was all set to celebrate Hanukkah this week until I took out my menorah and realized I had no Hanukkah candles.

So I went to Harris Teeter. A friendly clerk wasn't sure whether they carried them, but was kind enough to walk me over to the matzoh shelf -- i.e., the Jewish section -- and pointed to a stubby white candle in a jar, labeled in Hebrew.

Nope, I said politely, that's the memorial candle you light when a Jewish relative passes away. Not exactly appropriate for a holiday involving presents.

As I walked away, I wondered: Do they keep Christmas tree lights by the ham and eggnog?

I tried Hannaford and Food Lion and Super K-Mart and Eckerd and Mary's Hospitality Gifts at the Galleria. No luck.

When I asked a clerk at CVS/Revco if they stocked Hanukkah candles, he replied, ``I'm not sure what that is.''

``Candles for a menorah,'' I said.

``Ummmm . . . We really don't know what goes in that sort of thing. But we do have Christmas candles.''

I don't think he was Jewish.

Nor was the clerk at Wal-Mart: ``Hanukkah candles? Are they specifically named that?''

Imagine going to a store, asking for Christmas tree lights and getting this response: ``I don't know what a Christmas tree is, but how about a 65-watt bulb?''

For those who don't know, Hanukkah is the celebration of the ancient Maccabees' 167 B.C. victory against the Syrians, who had tried to restrict religious freedom. Jews light the menorah for eight nights to commemorate the rededication of the ancient temple in Jerusalem, when the last remaining container of oil miraculously lasted for eight nights.

A menorah is a candelabrum that holds nine specially made pencil-thin candles -- one candle for each night, plus an extra used to light the others. The candles don't have to be kosher or anything. It's just that other candles won't fit.

I had all but given up by this time, so when the woman at Kim's Hallmark shop on Cherry Road said they stocked Hanukkah candles, I thought she was joking.

``We have one,'' she said. ``It's not the actual thing with the actual candle holders --''

``The thing?'' I asked.

``You know, the thing that holds all the candles,'' she said.

``The menorah?''

``Yeah, the menor. Well, we don't have the candles that go in the thing, but we have a candle that looks like the thing that holds them, and you can light that.''

Huh?

Perhaps these clerks had never been asked about Hanukkah candles before. After all, only 9,000 Jews live in South Carolina -- 0.2 percent of the population.

With the area growing and diversifying so rapidly, it's important that we become more aware of other cultures.

But until that happens, I'll resort to the old stand-by.

So I called my mom in New York, where Hanukkah candles are as easy to find as skyscrapers and taxicabs. She gladly sent some.

Of course, with all the mail delays due to Christmas cards, they took a week to arrive.

Fortunately, Hanukkah has eight nights.

Thank God the Maccabees' oil burned so long.

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