Hanukkah Celebration

Hanukkah is a celebration of the Jewish religion for eight days and nights where each night the menorah or candelabra is lit. On the first night of Hanukkah a single candle lit, and an additional candle is lit each night that follows. The eight candles represent: faith, courage, freedom, charity, love, integrity, knowledge, and peace. Hanukkah Party Supplies

Hanukkah Party Plan

Hanukkah Party Invitations

Use Hanukkah symbols to make invitations. Handcrafted invitations are special and always appreciated. You can use stamps, scrapbook embellishments, stickers, clip art, and colored card stock to make up invitations or if time does not allow, purchase invitations ready-made.

Hanukkah Party Decorations

• Decorate with color scheme using white, silver and blue.
• Decorate the table or window with menorahs and Hanukkah motifs.
• Silver Chocolate Coins on the table
• White candle sticks
• Blue Colored Table Cloth
• Hanukkah Party Kit like themed dinner plates, dessert plates, napkins, etc.
• Use Silver Plate Chargers for the table place settings
• Use silver, blue and frost mini ornaments and place in martini glasses as decor
• Use card stock to layer interesting color combinations and use as place mats, runners or cut strips to decorate candles and to make napkin rings.
• Place a few colored silver, white, and blue mini ball ornaments in martini glasses as decor
• Use crystal in chandeliers, bowls, and vases to capture light and reflection
• You don’t need a menorah to celebrate Hanukkah. Instead of a menorah, use cups, decorative crystal goblets and candelabras grouped together in a cluster of nine. It gives the table a contemporary twist to a traditional celebration.
• Decorate by wrapping various size boxes in different colors of blues, silver and white. Top off with elegant matching bows. Stack the boxes in a corner of a hutch or side table.
• Set up a glass vase with white or silver branches on the opposite side of the table. Get branches from nature and use silver spray paint to color it silver. Spray on 777 Glue adhesive and dip the branches in silver glitter. Let dry. Insert into the vase and place on top of the table.

Hanukkah Guest Arrival and Introduction

• Play Hanukkah Songs when guests arrive
• Put a decorative Hanukkah Door cover to greet your guests as they arrive
• Greet guests with the saying “Chag Samayach” the Hebrew equivalent of “Happy Holidays”!
• Play or Sing Hanukkah Songs when guests arrive. A popular Hanukkah Song is:

I Have a Little Dreidel

I have a little dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it’s dry and ready
Then dreidel I shall play!

(Chorus)

Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it’s dry and ready
Then dreidel I shall play!

It has a lovely body
With legs so short and thin
And when my dreidel’s tired
It drops and then I win!

(Chorus)

My dreidel’s always playful
It loves to dance and spin
A happy game of dreidel
Come play now, let’s begin!

(Chorus)

Hanukkah Party Crafts

Decorate mini votives in the colors of silver, blue and white. Guests can take home as a party favor and enjoy making them during the party. Click link for full instructions and pictures of the Hanukkah Votive Craft. Supplies needed:

• Mini glass votive candle holders
• Blue acrylic craft paint
• Silver acrylic craft paint
• Silver glitter
• Blue tulle
• Silver ribbon
• Paint brush
• Puff paint (optional)
• Hanukkah stickers (optional)

Directions:

1. Wipe down the outside of the votive with a damp cloth to remove any dust or dirt.
2. Use paint brush to paint on silver and blue paint on the outside of of the votive in a random pattern.
3. Sprinkle silver glitter on the outside before the paint dries. Let dry.
4. Decorate with stickers of Hanukkah symbols like the Star of David using stickers or puff paint.
5. Place the candle inside the votive.
6. Wrap with blue tulle and tie off with silver ribbon.

Hanukkah Party Recipes

Serve something fried for Hanukkah each night. The frying representing the oil that burned for each of the 8 nights.

Potato Latkes

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbs flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Beat the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix in the chopped onions and shredded potatoes.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the skillet and use your spatula to flatten. Cook both sides until brown and crispy. Drain the excess oil and serve with apple sauce.

Easy Jelly Doughnut Triangles

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• canola oil
• 10 slices of white bread
• strawberry jam
• powdered or confectioner’s sugar

1. In a bowl, mix first 4 ingredients – milk, vanilla, eggs and sugar until blended and sugar is dissolved.
   
2. In a separate bowl, mix the next 3 ingredients – flour, baking powder and salt.
   
3. Slowly stir flour mixture into egg mixture until no lumps remain.
   
4. Heat oil in deep-fryer or frying pan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Make sandwiches with the bread, spreading jam evenly in the center. Trim away crusts, and cut each sandwich into quarters, then small triangles, wiping away any excess jam.
   
6. Dip each triangle into batter, making sure to coat completely.
   
7. Fry triangles in hot oil for 1 to 3 minutes, until golden brown.
   
8. Line a wire rack with paper towel. Take triangles out of oil and place on the paper towel to cool.
9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
   
10. Serve warm.

Round Doughnut Balls

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 3/8 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 quart oil for deep frying
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Stir the vinegar into the milk, and let stand for a few minutes until thick.
2. In another bowl, cream together the sugar and the shortening. Beat in the one egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla until well blended. Sift together the 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt.
3. Stir the vinegar mixture and the sugar mixture, alternating until blended.
4. Now take the dough out of the bowl and roll dough out. Roll onto a floured surface to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut into doughnut shape using a donut cutter or a glass cup. Let dough rest for about 10 minutes.
5. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or electric fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). When the oil is hot, fry doughnuts until golden. Make sure to turn over once to brown both sides. Drain on paper towels.
   
6. Dust with confectioners’ sugar when they are still warm.

Hanukkah Party Cakes

• Use 9 cupcakes and top each with blue icing. Sprinkle silver dragees on top. Top with a silver or white Line them up like a menorah.
• Another idea is to ice cupcakes with white icing and pipe a Star of David in blue on top.
• 
• holiday brownie pops are the latest craze! Imagine fresh-baked brownies on a lollipop stick, decorated to your theme party! Use as a dessert for your Hanukkah party or as a party favor for guests to take home.  Each pop come with either a delicious brownie or blondie center.
• Another option is the Fortune Cookies Bar Mitzvah Favor. Give out some boxes of luck with these awesome Chinese take home boxes full of fortune cookies. Each box is stuffed with 9 Kosher fortune cookies and reads, “I had a knockout time at…” and is personalized with your name and bar or bat mitzvah, or Hanukkah party.

Hanukkah Party Games

Play the traditional Dreidel Game. Make sure to have enough coins for everyone to play.

Things needed and how to play:

1. Dreidel
2. Coins, chocolate coins, pennies, raisins, nuts, m&ms, or any objects enough to play with. Decide on an entry amount per player. Put that towards the pot.
3. Each player takes turn to spin the dreidel.
4. When it lands on any of the four sides follow directions below for each character. So you either add or take from the pot depending on what character you land on.
5. • ה : Nun – nisht – “nothing” – nothing happens and the next player spins
   • נ : Gimel – gants – “all” – the player takes the entire pot
   • ג : Hey – halb – “half” – the player takes half of the pot, rounding up if there is an odd number
   • ש : Shin – shtel ayn – “put in” – the player puts one marker in the pot
6. When one person wins everything for one game, that game is over.

Hanukkah Party Favors and Gifts

• Chocolate Silver and Gold Coins
• Candle craft made during the party
• Hanukkah stickers. Stickers are great favors as prizes for Holiday Bingo or other Holiday games.
  
• Hanukkah bear. Kids always love stuffed animals and the Dreidel the Music dog or Hanukkah the Teddy Bear are both adorable.
  
• Hanukkah book.  Consider giving a book as a favor.  Perhaps a book on Hanukkah or a story that takes place during the Hanukkah celebration in the book.
  
• Hanukkah pencils