Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights in Judaism. Throughout the eight-day festival, relatives and friends of all ages gather to light the Chanukiah (also known as a menorah in the West), give presents, and play games. This week (plus one!) is not only ideal for getting into the holiday mood, but also for throwing a beautiful Hanukkah celebration—and, of course, selecting the right Hanukkah party invitation to match.
There are so many ways to celebrate this fun and important occasion with people near to you, from the wonderful dishes to the long-standing customs. What is the most difficult aspect of planning a Hanukkah party? Choosing which customs to include! That is why we are here to assist you in planning the best party imaginable. So polish your Chanukah (and remove any leftover wax from last year) and read on for some unique and memorable Hanukkah party ideas to start the holiday season.
Candles and cookies party
The only thing better than candles is… cookies, as everyone knows. And how about them together? They’re the ultimate Hanukkah power couple. This simple Hanukkah party concept blends traditional candle lighting with everyone’s favorite bite-sized sweet dessert.
Ideas For Food: Cookies, of course! Bake some yourself (leaving at least one batch till the last minute so the sweet aroma lingers) or invite friends to help. Here are some tasty and colorful Hanukkah cookie recipes to try:
The Manischewitz Ready to Decorate Pre-Baked Sugar Cookie Kit is a must-have for people who value convenience without compromising fun. It costs $9.99 and contains 12 festive-shaped sugar cookies and all the necessary decorative accompaniments, ensuring a creative and memorable Hanukkah experience.
Manischewitz has been at the forefront of kosher culinary offerings for over a century. Now, as America’s predominant name in gourmet kosher products, they are reigniting the Hanukkah sugar cookie tradition with a range of delightful cookie kits, including the Manischewitz Ugly Sweater Chanukah Sugar Cookie Kit. This kit promises a blend of humor, tradition, and taste, comprising a sugar cookie mix, color powders, sprinkle mix, piping bags, and a unique sweater cookie cutter, all for just $8.99.
Décor; Decorate your table to be the focal point of the evening, with a gorgeous Chanukiah (or many) and your finest serveware decorated with cookies and other traditional delicacies.
Stick to the basics, especially on the first night of Hanukkah: candle lighting, dreidel, and other Hanukkah party games, singing, and stuffing your face with delicious food.
Latkes and lights party
Prepare your visitors for the ultimate Hanukkah night delight with the Three Ls. latkes, Lights, and Libations!
Food: Hanukkah isn’t complete without latkes, a fried potato pancake-like meal that’s a must-have at each Hanukkah party. Grab some wine and maybe even some vodka (to keep with the potato theme) for some spicy beverages.
Try this Perfect Potato Latke Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 box of Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mix
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of cold water
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the potato pancakes mix, eggs, and water. Let stand for 2 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Drop the potato pancake batter into the frying pan using a large spoon. Make sure the potato pancakes are not touching each other.
- Cook the potato pancakes on one side for 3 minutes (or until golden brown), then carefully flip with the spatula and cook on the other side for 3 minutes (or until golden brown).
- Remove the potato pancakes from the frying pan and serve immediately.
- Serve with apple sauce, Manischewitz Apple Butter, or Manischewitz Honey.
Décor; While the “lights” décor part is rather easy (it is, after all, the Festival of Lights), here is an opportunity to be creative with your décor. Aside from using the Chanukiah as the highlight for the evening, you may also light up the room with string lights, lanterns, or even the classic oil lamps that date back to the original Hanukkah celebration.
Gifts exchange party
Almost everybody would tell you that one of the best parts of Hanukkah is the gifts, which you receive for eight straight nights. While this party concept may not last a whole week, it does ensure that everyone receives a present.
For food – serve lots of latkes. We have a pancake latke recipe for you to try. The Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mix provides a hassle-free pathway to mouthwatering latkes. Also, serve wine and vodka for an awesome time.
Décor: A traditional Hanukkah giving celebration needs traditional Hanukkah décor. Hang banners, fill balloons with blue, white, and silver, and encourage guests to bring their Chanukiahs to make the whole venue shine.
Activities: You may design your gift exchange rules in anyway you like, whether each attendee selects a name ahead of time or it’s a white elephant situation. Set a pricing minimum and cap that all of your party guests can reasonably pay.
Gelt, gab, and games party idea
Elevate your Hanukkah with some friendly competition and money—the chocolate variety will suffice. What you’ll need for a night of Hanukkah party games is as follows:
Food: Chocolate coins (gelt), in addition to the traditional (wonderful) dishes seen during Hanukkah celebrations, work perfectly.
Décor: Decorate with silver accents and bits of blue here and there. Remember to leave lots of gelt on the tables.
Activities: Play a round of Hanukkah trivia, which includes questions about Hanukkah TV episodes, historical facts, and other topics.
Doughnuts and Dreidel party
With this party idea, spend the night spinning the dreidel, eating doughnuts, and settling down to a magnificent feast.
Food: Serve your guests a traditional Hanukkah dinner on your best dishes—after all, it is a wonderful time of year. Aside from latkes and gelt, typical Hanukkah crowd-pleasers include schnitzel, brisket, lamb, and salmon, with sides like candied carrots, applesauce and challah bread. Pillowy sufganiyot (Israeli doughnuts), which are symbolic since they are cooked in oil, are the way to go for dessert.
Published by HOLR Magazine.