Hanukkah Parties

Make a Plan

Just like any good event, Hanukkah parties will require some advanced planning. The more you figure out ahead of time, the less you will have to stress about on the night of the party. Some factors you should consider are:

• Who will the guests be? Will it be a party for adults, or will there be kids in attendance as well? Plan your guest list before you plan anything else about the party. Your guest list will dictate your activities, your refreshments, and so on.

• What is your party budget? Once you know what you can afford to spend, decide what your priorities are. Do you spend most of your money on getting your place looking just right for the occasion, or would you rather spend the cash on food and drinks? Do you want to serve finger food or a sit down meal? Will your guests bring a beverage or food item to share with everyone?

• What kind of activities do you want to have? Will your party be merely a social event, or do you want to include games? Do you want your party to be a reverent observation of the holiday, or do you want something a little more casual and fun?

Another important thing to keep in mind is to get those invitations out early. Remember that people’s social calendars fill up quickly during the holiday season, so give your guests plenty of notice about your party.

Activity Ideas for Hanukkah Parties

Depending on who your guests are, you may simply want to gather your friends and family for a little together time for conversation and visiting. On the other hand, you may want to have some ideas ready to keep your guests entertained. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Dreidel – Spinning the dreidel is a favorite Hanukkah activity for adults and children alike. To make things more interesting, have guests bring along small gifts that be given to the winners. The dreidel traditionally involves putting money into and taking money out of a central pot, but if you don’t want to play with real money, you can always substitute chocolate coins (chocolate gelt) or other pieces of candy.
• Musical Chairs – Musical chairs is another Hanukkah party favorite. For an extra twist, play Klezmer music or traditional Jewish folk music.

• Latkes – Latkes are the favorite food of Hanukkah. Instead of making a bunch of them before your party, turn the cooking process into the party. Gather a small group of friends together, and encourage them to bring their own favorite Latke recipe. Cook them together and then samples each others at the end.

• Gift exchange – Gifts are a big part of Hanukkah, but you can put a new spin on the idea by having each of your guests purchase a small gift to bring to the party. Put all the gifts together, and have each person draw a mystery gift. This is a fun way to get new and unique gifts, plus it saves everyone from having to shop and buy gifts for the whole crowd. This is especially great for large families.

• Candle lighting ceremony – Host a ceremony for the lighting of the menorah.

Of course, you can always take your favorite party activities and give them a Hanukkah spin; you can even get a Hanukkah piñata! For great Hanukkah party supply ideas, click here].

The most important thing to remember about your Hanukkah party is to enjoy yourself. Choose the event that will be a joy for you to plan, and breeze for you to throw. Have fun!

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