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TeresahRN
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5 Hanukkah Party Favor Ideas
Throw a festival of lights celebration and let guests leave with a smile after they get creative Hanukkah party favors. Select Hanukkah party favor ideas based on your budget, number of guests, and ages of guests. Distribute appropriate Hanukkah party favors for kids and also proper Hanukkah party favors for adults so everyone gets a taste of the fun.
Enjoy these delicious chocolate Hanukkah party favor ideas!
Ideas for Chanukah party favors include:
•Gelt: Take advantage of the Hanukkah holiday, and treat your guests to scrumptious chocolate gelt. Put heaping mounds of gelt on a table, provide guests with bags, and tell them to help themselves. For another favor idea, stuff gelt in fillable dreidels. Try a simple favor idea, and hand out gelt to each guest in a mesh bag.
•Fortune Cookies: Show off your skills in the kitchen, and make Hanukkah fortune cookies. Buy simple white chocolate dip or melt white chocolate on your own. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to make blue chocolate dip. Dip fortune cookies in (about half way), and then rest them on a piece of wax paper until dry. Add some extra Hanukkah fun, and place a dash of edible white sprinkles or stars on the tops of the fortune cookies before dry.
•Chocolate Lollipops: Satisfy the sweet tooth of your guests with Hanukkah chocolate lollipops in the shape of the Star of David. Search for a Star of David lollipop mold at your local craft store. Get creative, and use white chocolate with a few drops of food coloring for a unique twist. Once complete, place the lollipops in clear cellophane bags, and tie blue and white ribbon to seal shut for freshness. If there are diabetics in the family, use sugar-free chocolate.
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TeresahRN
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How to Light the Menorah
Follow an age-old Hanukkah tradition and light your Hanukkah candles to remember the victory of the Maccabees. Take a moment to watch the bright light from the candles and think about the miraculous oil that lasted for eight days in the Holy Temple.
Enjoy the Hanukkah holiday and be sure to spend lots of time with close friends and family.
Here are some instructions for how to light a menorah:
1. Wait for nightfall to light your menorah. On Friday (Shabbat), light your menorah before sundown.
2. Find a flat, level surface. Put down a piece of aluminum foil and then place your menorah on top. Use the aluminum foil to catch any drips of wax from the menorah candles.
3. Identify the Shamash, and be sure to use the Shamash candle to light the other candles throughout Hanukkah.
4. Place the first menorah candle at the far right of the Menorah on the first night. Add a new candle to the left of the first candle on the second night. On the third night, add a candle to the left of the first two candles. Continue the candle placing process throughout the eight days of Hanukkah.
5. Say the blessings each night in front of the Hanukkah menorah and light the candles from left to right. Continue the menorah lighting process throughout the eight days of the Festival of Lights. Recite all three blessings on the first night and only the first two on all other nights.
Here are the Hanukkah blessings for the first night:
• Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-had-lik ner Cha-nu-kah.
• Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-a-sa ni-sim la-avo-te-nu ba-ya-mim ha-hem bi-zman ha-zeh.
• Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-higi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh.
Here are the Hanukkah blessings for all of the other nights:
• Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-had-lik ner Cha-nu-kah.
• Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-a-sa ni-sim la-avo-te-nu ba-ya-mim ha-hem bi-zman ha-zeh.
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TeresahRN
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How to Make Potato Latkes
Learn how to make potato latkes, also known as potato pancakes, and savor a traditional Jewish food during the celebration of Hanukkah. Cook up a batch as a family activity and also take time to understand how the oil in potato pancakes is symbolic of the oil in the Hanukkah story.
After the Maccabees revolted against Anotichos IV and the persecution of the Jews, they rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. However, there was only enough oil left to burn the eternal flame in the temple for one day. Miraculously, it lasted for eight days—just the amount of time needed to make a fresh supply of oil. Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of that miracle.
This Hanukkah season, make delicious and easy latke recipes. Continue a family tradition and use a potato latkes recipe from a relative or try out the following recipe.
Have a very happy Hanukkah and enjoy traditional and scrumptious Jewish dishes like latkes!
Recipe for Potato Latkes
Ingredients and Equipment:
• 3 large russet potatoes
• ½ an onion
• 2 tablespoons of either matzo meal or flour
• 1 egg
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• mixing bowl
• large grater or food processor
• large skillet
• condiment (apple sauce and sour cream are traditional)
Directions:
1. Grate the potatoes and onion using your food grater or food processor and place them into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of matzo meal or flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of pepper to the mixing bowl. Use your hands or a spoon to combine all of the ingredients into your mixture.
3. Heat 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Once the oil is hot, place about 2–3 tablespoons of your potato mixture into the skillet for each pancake. (You will probably be able to fit 3 or 4 pancakes into your pan at one time.)
5. Flatten each potato cake slightly with your spatula.
6. Let the pancakes cook for 4 minutes on one side, then flip and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove your golden brown potato pancakes and repeat with the rest of the potato mixture.
8. Top the pancakes with your favorite condiments like apple sauce or sour cream. Serve them hot!
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TeresahRN
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Hanukkah Recipe: Homemade Applesauce
Plan to make a delicious applesauce Hanukkah recipe for the holidays. Use Hanukkah recipes for applesauce to complement yummy potato latkes or offer it as a special, yet healthy, treat for the kids. Serve the applesauce on the table for guests, or preserve it in jars, and hand the jars out as Hanukkah favors.
Try this great Hanukah recipe idea and gather these ingredients to make a traditional Hanukkah recipe that everyone will gobble up:
• 4 apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Follow these easy Hanukkah recipe instructions to complete your delicious homemade applesauce:
Combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Place a cover over the saucepan. Cook the mixture over a medium heat for around 20 minutes, or until the apples become soft. Allow the mixture to cool, then mash the apples and other ingredients with a fork or potato masher.
Be creative with tastes and add your own unique twist to the homemade applesauce recipe. Instead of a traditional homemade applesauce recipe, make a blueberry or strawberry applesauce recipe by adding different kinds of fruit to the mixture. Add blueberry or strawberry pieces to the top as a garnish.
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TeresahRN
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Creative Hanukkah Crafts for Kids
Plan creative Hanukkah crafts for kids to keep the little ones busy during the holiday season. Provide age appropriate Hanukkah crafts, along with the necessary supplies to make beautiful Hanukkah décor. Display the crafts for family and friends to see and celebrate during visits.
Hang the artwork throughout your home and make the kids feel proud of their work. After the holidays, pack up the kids Hanukkah crafts carefully in order to preserve them for next year
Some fantastic Hanukkah craft ideas for kids include:
•Menorah: Design a beautiful Hanukkah menorah with a few simple supplies: half a paper plate, glue, glitter, white cardstock, red and orange tissue paper, and a large popsicle stick. Place the half paper plate with the rounded part face down. Attach the popsicle stick to the back of the paper plate, in the middle of the rounded part. Make sure at least ¾ of the popsicle stick is visible. Cut nine candles out of the white cardstock paper, and glue them to the top (straight edge) of the plate. Glue them on the backside of the plate, and make sure at least ¾ of the candle is visible. Make stems for all nine candles with glue and glitter. Add flames to the candles with small pieces of red and orange tissue paper.
•Star of David: Create beautiful Stars of David as Hanukkah preschool crafts. Use popsicle sticks and glue to make two triangles. Place one triangle right side up and the other upside down. Put the right side up triangle on top of the upside down triangle to make a star. Decorate the Star of David with paint, glitter and other fun craft supplies. Tie a piece of fish wire to the top of the Star of David and hang it on a door knob, from a ceiling, or even on the back of dining room chairs.
•Dreidel: Make decorative dreidels as a Hanukkah kids crafts. Visit your local arts and crafts store, and purchase a wooden dreidel along with paint, paint brushes, puffy paints, stickers, sequins, and glitter. Ask the children decorate the dreidel with the supplies.
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TeresahRN
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Hanukkah Party Ideas
Get ready to have some fun and festive celebration this December with creative Hanukkah party ideas. Base your Hanukkah ideas and Hanukkah party themes on the age groups of the guests you invite to the party. Incorporate a pinch of fun and a dash of tradition into your Hanukkah party planning.
Get creative with your Hanukkah ideas and share them with your party guests. Consider additional ideas such as baking, story-telling, and a Hanukkah yankee swap. Chag sameach!
Find the perfect party theme with these ideas for Chanukah:
•Game Time Theme: Entertain the little kids during Hanukkah and create a pin-the-candle-on-the-menorah game. Draw a menorah on a large piece of poster board and then cut out a handful of candles. Place double sided sticky tape on the candles. Line the kids up, blind fold them, and one-by-one have them stick their candles on the menorah. Award a prize to the child with the most accurate candle placement.
•Help Those Less Fortunate: Throw a spectacular Hanukkah celebration this year and invite lots of family and friends. Ask ask each family to bring a toy to donate to those less fortunate. Collect all of the toys and donate them to a local charity at the end of your Hanukkah celebration.
•Hanukkah Play: Re-enact the story of Hanukkah and perform a play with a select group of guests during the party. Teach the young children about the history of the holiday and entertain at the same time! Provide a script and costumes for the actors and actresses. Have someone in the audience tape the performance to reminisce at a later date.
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TeresahRN
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Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel...We Shall Play
Throw a Hanukkah party, learn how to play dreidel, and enjoy the fun during the Festival of Lights. The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side—gimel, shin, hey, and nun. The letters stand for Hebrew words that translate into the English language. Select dreidels in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and use them both for the dreidel games and as Hanukkah decorations.
Dreidel Rules:
Before you start the dreidel game, make sure each player has an equal amount of playing pieces. Traditionally, these are chocolate coins (Hanukkah gelt), but you can play with any small objects.
The players each contribute one item from their pile to the center of the pot before each spin.
Allow each player to take a turn and spin the dreidel. Pay attention to the letter on the dreidel after the spin and take action based on the outcome.
•Gimel: Give all of the pot to the player.
•Nun: Give the player nothing.
•Hey: Give the player half of the pot
•Shin: Ask the player to put one candy from their pile back in the pot.
The game ends when one player has all the candy or playing pieces.
Make the game extra festive and sing the dreidel song as you play!
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TeresahRN
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Decorations for Hanukkah
Get creative with your decorations for Hanukkah this year and create a festive atmosphere for your eight nights of celebration. Decorating your home for the holidays is a wonderful family activity. Teach little kids how to decorate for Hanukkah and let them add their own unique touch.
Get inspired by these Hanukkah decoration ideas:
•Hanukkah Menorah: Create a homemade Hanukkah menorah to hang on the wall, front door, or the fireplace. Use a pencil to draw the outline of a menorah on a piece of cardboard or foam board. Cut out the menorah and then wrap it in aluminum foil. Make candles for the menorah with colorful card stock paper. Place the candles on the menorah on the appropriate nights of Hanukkah.
•Dreidels: Decorate for Hanukkah with a variety of different dreidels. Decorate with colorful dreidels, metallic dreidels, plastic dreidels, wooden dreidels, and fillable dreidels. Fill a decorative dreidel-shaped container with the traditional Hanukkah candy—chocolate gelt. Scatter the dreidels on tables for decoration or line them up along your fireplace mantle. Hold a Hanukkah party at your house and let guests take the dreidels home as favors.
•Star of David: Hang Star of David embellishments throughout your home for your Chanukah decorations. Buy the Star of David decorations at your local store or make them yourself with card stock paper. Cut out two triangles. Place one with the point up and one with the point down down. Glue the two triangles together and then decorate your Star of David with glitter, metallic markers, or even stickers. Get creative, attach a piece of ribbon to the top of the Star of David, and hang it from the ceiling!
Making your own Hanukkah decorations is a wonderful way to express your creativity. Enjoy decorating for Chanukah and have a blast with your family and friends during the Festival of Lights!
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TeresahRN
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Send a Festive Hanukkah eCard
Write and send thoughtful, free eCards for Hanukkah to your loved ones this year. Chanukah eCards are a wonderful way to spread your holiday well-wishes and tell the most important people in your life that you’re thinking of them. Follow these writing tips to create a personal and meaningful free Hanukkah eCard that will be cherished by all who receive it.
Here are some tips about how to write a Hanukkah eCard:
•Hanukkah Greetings: When you sit down to write your eCards for Hanukkah, begin with a classic Hanukkah greeting. Sayings like, “Happy Hanukkah!,” “Shalom!”, or “Chanukah Sameach!” are traditional.
•Hanukkah Wishes: Follow your greeting with holiday well-wishes. Write Hanukkah e card wording such as, “As you celebrate the Festival of Lights, may your home be bright with happiness and joy.” Another option is, “Wishing you a very happy holiday and a year filled with many blessings.”
•Family News: For a personal touch, write a couple sentences with news of your family. For example, “We’ve just completed our kitchen renovation and can’t wait to have our first big party. Shana is loving first grade and reading everything in sight.” Choose a photo eCard design so you can add your family picture to your Hanukkah card.
Enjoy customizing free eCards for Chanukkah on Punchbowl and spread the joy of the Festival of Lights!
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TeresahRN
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Hanukkah Activities
Keep family and friends busy this holiday season with fun and creative Hanukkah activities. Spend time in the kitchen and bake some special treats or get a team together and play some games. Put your thinking caps on and put together puzzles or warm up your vocal cords and sing some holiday songs.
Here are some fun and festive Hanukkah activity ideas:
•Bake: Plan a Hanukkah activity to bake goods for the holiday season. Bake traditional Hanukkah treats such as rugelach. Serve the rugelach to guests at a Hanukkah party or package them in cellophane bags with ribbon around the tops and hand them out as Hanukkah favors or gifts.
•Games: Entertain the little ones with Hanukkah activities for kids such as fun games. Play the dreidel game, pin the letter on the dreidel, word searches, Hanukkah bingo, and the Hanukkah memory game. Award prizes to the winners!
•Puzzles: Provide Hanukkah puzzles with symbolic pictures to represent the holiday. Search for puzzles with images of dreidels, the Star of David, and menorahs. Supply appropriate puzzles for different age groups and give large puzzles with a minimal number of pieces to the younger kids. Provide more complicated puzzles with 100+ pieces as Hanukkah activities for teens.
•Songs: Keep busy during the holidays with Hanukkah activities for the family such as singing traditional Hanukkah songs. Popular songs include Maoz Tsur, Oh Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah, and Sevivon. Type up the words for the songs and make copies for all of the Hanukkah guests. Add a special touch with music in the background.
•Crafts: Plan Hanukkah craft projects for kids and adults during the holiday. Have the young kids decorate pouches to hold Hanukkah gelt. Provide supplies for the adults to make Star of David crafts out of stained glass (kits can be found at most craft stores).
Plan the Chanukah activities based on the preferences of your guests. Choose a variety of age appropriate activities that are fun for the whole family!
Hanukkah for Kids
When planning a holiday party this year, make it revolve around a Hanukkah for kids celebration. Focus on activities to keep the kids busy while helping them to learn about Hanukkah traditions. Potential ideas include reading a book about Chanukah for children, playing music, performing a play, and lighting the menorah.
Get started with these Hanukkah activities for kids:
•Book: Gather the kids together to listen to a book about the story of Hanukkah. Pick a book specifically for young children meant to educate and entertain them. Encourage the kids to ask questions at the end of the story and let them expand on their thoughts about Hanukkah.
•Music: Play traditional Hanukkah music and plan Hanukkah activities that involve dance and movement. Provide musical instruments such as maracas and drums to encourage the children to participate in the fun.
•Play: Write a play about the story of Hanukkah and have the kids perform it during the Hanukkah party. Provide a homemade set, script and costumes for the play. Give the kids time to rehearse in advance and allow them to use the script during the play if necessary.
•Menorah: Make it a Chanukah for kids and involve them in the lighting of the menorah. Have the adults help the younger children and be sure to recite the Hanukkah prayers.
Make Hanukkah all about the kids and help them to understand the history and meaning of the holiday. Clarify that Hanukkah is not based solely on eight nights of gifts. Make it a point to sit down with the kids each night before they receive their presents and educate them about about the history of the holiday and their religion.
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