How to Host a Chanukah Party

Chanukah (or Hanukkah) celebrates the Maccabees' victory over the Syrians and is an important Jewish holiday. It falls on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev on the Jewish calendar. This means it typically falls sometime in November or December in the Roman calendar. Chanukah lasts eight nights.

Instructions

1. Serve latkes with applesauce. These are potato pancakes fried in oil, and they are the mainstay of a Chanukah celebration. Also popular are soofganiot, which are Jewish jelly donuts. Fried food is popular during Chanukah because it is meant to represent the oil that burned for eight days before the Jews could get more oil.

2. Light the menorah. A Chanukah menorah has eight stems, with each representing the eight nights of a Chanukah. The menorah is traditionally placed near a window.

3. Say the Chanukah blessings over the candles. There are typically two different Hebrew blessings to say, with a third being said only on the first night of Chanukah. Below is a link with the Chanukah blessings.

4. Hand out gelt (or chocolate coins) to the children and/or exchange gifts. Many families exchange one gift on each night of Chanukah.

5. Play dreidel. For the rules of the game, see the link below.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not blow out the Chanukah candles. They are meant to burn out on their own.

Resources

• Chanukah blessings at My Jewish Learning website
• Rules to play dreidel at My Jewish Learning website