If there’s any time of the year you need to stay in a mentally sane cocoon, this is it!

T

he first thing you need to do when you realize a three-day Yom Tov is coming is to panic. I mean full-blown, can’t-catch-your-breath, world-spinning-out-of-the-stratosphere, lying-down-in-bed-with-a-cold-compress-on-your-forehead kind of panic.

Once the significance of the upcoming three days (72 hours, 4,320 minutes, 259,200 seconds) has sunk in, remember the great body and soul healer — ice cream!

There are two items absolutely essential for a balabusta at this time. First, a pair of very comfortable shoes. You’ll be on your feet a lot (i.e., all day/night) and can stay upright much longer with comfy footwear. The second crucial item is an eyeglasses retainer strap so your eyeglasses are accessible at all times for those tiny-print Pesach recipes you’re reading and to help you find the items you need on your 14th trip to the grocery store. There definitely will be children (um, teenagers) who will refuse to be seen in public with you. If you’re really irked at their reaction, buy a colorful beaded strap that can be seen aisles away. (Contact me for the best place to buy this.)

Stay away from those posts featuring the “perfect Pesach chiffon cake that never fails” or pictures of full freezers with rows of neatly labeled aluminum pans. Don’t answer any calls from friends who have finished cooking and baking a week before Pesach. If there’s any time of the year you need to stay in a mentally sane cocoon, this is it!