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Hanukkah
Perhaps the best-known of the Jewish holidays, Hanukkah has gained significant prominence in the last hundred years or so due to its proximity on the calendar to Christmas. Although it is technically a minor festival, 'tis the season for everything festive, and Hanukkah has its fair share of the market in holiday decorations, tchotchkes, and other consumer products.
There's a lot to celebrating Hanukkah. You'll need all the basics just for your family, but if you're also having a party on one of those eight crazy nights, you might need a few more things. Check out these selections, but keep in mind that these are by no means the only ones out there!
Hanukkah Party
A lot of families will choose to have a Hanukkah party for their friends and family on one of the eight nights of the holiday. This is especially popular in the United States where many of your friends may not be familiar with Jewish traditions. So why not show them a thing or two?!
- Decorations: Put up some blue, silver, and white in honor of Israel. Also, lighted decorations
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- Invitations: Grab some Hanukkah-themed invites
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- Activities: When guests arrive, have the activities ready to go. The driedel game
- Gifts: Gift exchanges are great! If your family can't get together for each of the eight days, you might want to choose to do one gift instead, or give all eight gifts in one night!
- For non-Jewish participants, driedels
Menorahs
There are lots of menorahs on the market, both traditional and whimsical.
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Brass menorahs are very traditional. These will take you back to Hanukkah's roots. |
Silver menorahs are the most common, and they are a great piece to use year after year. |
These give a modern edge to a traditional piece. |
Ceramic menorahs can be super colorful and fun. Just make sure the kids don't grab a hold of it! |
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These are great for busy households where flames could be a hazard. |
The perfect gift for kids! |
Oil burning menorahs always add a touch of splendor to the holiday. |
Whimsical menorahs are great for a fun decoration. |
Well, you have to light something too, don't you?
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Grab some candles for your Menorah! |
Hand-dipped candles are a fun way to bring it back to the basics. |
For any electric Menorah, grab a set up these bulbs. |
If you choose to go with an oil burning Menorah you'll want to stock up on that oil ahead of time. |
Dreidels
Known as s'vivon in Israel, dreidels are fun to spin and are often highly ornamental. Get some basic wooden ones for the kids to play with (wood spins better than plastic) and keep the ornamental ones in the curio cabinet.
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Plastic dreidels are an inexpensive option--great for kids! |
Wooden dreidels are pretty common, so it should be easy to find one. They're perfect for the dreidel game. |
Metal dreidels will cost a little bit more, but make for great Hanukkah gifts. |
You can pick up some great ceramic dreidels from Israel--find them on the web! |
For any night of dreidel-spinning, grab one of these kits to decorate your own. |
Food
Latkes and jelly donuts are best made from scratch, but here a few helpers in case you can't do it yourself. Make sure you have a good pan for frying those potato pancakes, no matter how you make them. If you want to make jelly donuts (fried in oil is where it's at!) you'll need a deep fryer too. Don't forget the cookies!
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He'Brew |
Music
Don't forget some tunes to add atmosphere to your celebration. Hanukkah songs
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Related Guides
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