With holiday mania kicking off at sundown on Thanksgiving, today at sundown we begin to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. I am sure for most young Jewish families like myself; we look for new and inventive ways to make Hanukkah fun and exciting for our little ones. I think Adam Sandler say’s it best that we don’t just have “one day of Christmas, we have eight crazy nights.” This year I intend to do just that for my family – make Hanukkah fun and crazy! Below are five tips on how you can do just that:
Tip 1 – Decorating for your Hanukkah Party
Put on some fun Hanukkah tunes, decorate your home and let the party begin. Every year on the first night of Hanukkah we invite friends and family over for an amazing celebration. As a family we enjoy placing the Menorah in our front window, hanging our “Happy Hanukkah” sign over our door way and having colorful dreidals hung from the ceiling. Personally, this is the best way to kick off eight fantastic nights of Hanukkah.
Tip 2 – Hanukkah Calendar
Creating a Hanukkah calendar is a great way to get the family excited for each night. Taking turns, your kids can pull one tradition from that nights pocket and that can become the activity for the evening. These activities can include decorating their own dreidel or even making delicious Hanukkah cookies.
Tip 3 – Making of the Potato Latkas & Sfganiyot (donuts)
The miracle of the Hanukkah story is that the Hanukkah oil, miraculously lasted for eight days when it should have only lasted for one. As a result, fried foods have become a traditional fare. Both my children love to help me cook. This is a great way to get them involved as well as giving them knowledge on the type of cuisine we eat on Hanukkah. If you have young toddlers like myself, they can simply help you pour pre-measured ingredients into the bowl for the potato latkas as well as kneading the dough for the donuts. The will be a wonderful time to spend as a family as well as creating lasting memories.
Tip 4 – Playing the Dreidel Game
Who wouldn’t love playing a game where your whole family can be involved and you have the chance to win gold chocolate coins. I know you would not have to ask my kids twice! In order to play this game you need two key ingredients a dreidel & Hanukkah gelt. A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side and Hanukkah gelt is chocolate coins either wrapped in gold or silver foil. This game is truly enjoyed by all ages. Even the youngest of babies will enjoy watching the dreidel as it spins on its axis. For more information on how to play the dreidel game simply visit http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Hanukkah/At_Home/Dreidel/How_To_Play.shtm
Tip 5 – Reading Hanukkah Books Together
Reading books together is a wonderful Holiday activity. In my family, we enjoy reading one Hanukkah Book a night for all eight nights. It has become a holiday tradition in my home. You want to make sure when selecting your books you choose ones with colorful pages and lively texts. This will certainly help peak their interest. Also, to make these nights different from all other nights you can serve warm chocolate milk and cuddle up with a soft blanket. This will help demonstrate how much you love one another.
I wish you all a very Happy Hanukah and may your eight nights be as fun and crazy as mine!
Peace, Love & Latkas!
Jessica Grossman - McBrearty
From The Drexelbrook Catering Family To Yours, We Wish You The Very Best Of This Holiday Season
"Ah Freilichen Hanukkah" חנוכה שמח
"Ah Freilichen Hanukkah" חנוכה שמח
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