8 Delightful Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah!
Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Lights. This year, it begins on the evening of December 14 and ends on December 22. Here are a few fun ways to make Hanukkah special.
1
Make something fried to eat. It’s traditional to eat foods fried in oil to commemorate the miracle of Hanukkah. Potato pancakes or latkes and donuts or sufganiyot are the most common Hanukkah foods. If you don’t want to cook, splurge and order from a famous NY deli with goldbelly.com. Whether you prefer savory or sweet, fry up something in honor of the holiday.
2
Give back to the community. Instead of giving gifts to each other one night, do a community service project as a family. This could be providing a meal to a family in need, donating clothes and toys, or donate to a cause your family is passionate about.
3
Build a family menorah. Choose a favorite movie, book, sports team or hobby and then create a new menorah to use during the holiday season. You can use wood as the base and then paint it. Or, make it out of paper towel or toilet paper rolls with tissue paper flames. You can find simple directions online for either option.
4
Play dreidel. This game is a Hanukkah classic and involves a spinning top with Hebrew letters. Each letter – Hay, Vav, Shin, Gimmel – tells you whether you gain or lose your part of the prize pot. Most families play with chocolate coins or gelt or pennies.
5
Decorate the house. There are so many beautiful options for decorations in stores and online, so get in the holiday spirit and adorn your windows, doors and more. In the metro area, Homegoods and Target stores always have a selection for Hanukkah.
6
Wear ugly Hanukkah sweaters or matching PJs. Join the trend and take/post family photos in holiday-themed outfits. From latkes and menorahs to dreidels and gelt, you can find a variety of options for the whole family at moderntribe.com.
7
Tell the story in a fun way. Understanding the background of Hanukkah is important. Recount the story of the Maccabees defeating the Philistines by creating a book, skit or puppet show. Get silly with it to make the holiday fun for the kids.
8
Light the menorah. This is the main event of the holiday, so make it count. Take turns lighting the candles, youngest to oldest, or let each family member light their own menorah each night. Get brightly colored candles to make the experience beautiful. Bring the lights to life with 3D glasses; you can find them on Amazon.
All About Hanukkah
- Hanukkah commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple.
- It is eight nights long with a candle being lit each night to mimic the miracle of the oil in the eternal light at the Temple.
- Hanukkah always begins on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which usually falls in November or December on our calendar.
- Judah Maccabee is known as the hero of the Hanukkah story.
- Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting candles in a menorah each night, playing dreidel, and giving gifts.
– Tali Benjamin
