A Beginners Guide to Hanukkah at Home

Hey my friends! It's that time of year in which people across the globe are preparing for, budgeting for, shopping for and thinking about the joys and sorrows of the holidays! Holidays such as Diwali (which has passed), Hanukkah, Christmas and Thanksgiving (in the USA) are the most common celebrations during the winter months. Prevalent holiday-related questions such as "Who is invited to my party?", "What food am I going to make?", "Where are we going to celebrate and what gifts are we going to give?" are what people are most likely asking themselves and others during this time of year.

In these unprecendented times, opportunities to attend and host parties and fancy gatherings are compromised due to the risk of Coronavirus spread. Depending on where you reside across the globe or nation and the restrictions that are put in place in each of these places, you might be required to host a virtual holiday celebration or a very small gathering for household members only. With the significant use of technology nowadays, people are becoming more innovative and able to work around their holiday plans with ease. For the last ten months, people have been hosting online events such as virtual recreation/leisure programs, holiday celebrations, birthday parties and religious ceremonies on platforms like Zoom and Houseparty to connect with their communities and loved ones while respecting social distancing protocols.

Specifically about Hanukkah, many people celebrate with their friends, families and communities that they are actively involved in. People attend and host private or public Hanukkah parties at each others houses or at the synagogues that they regularly attend. Many secular families do not celebrate Hanukkah, but is valued and celebrated by religious families in countries like Israel. Since many people aren't permitted to do any of those in-person Hanukkah celebrations that kids and families enjoy, we all have to compromise and find a way to celebrate without risking our health and lives. The cooking, eating, lighting the menorah and spinning the dreidel (a spinning top with four Hebrew letters on each side) parts won't be greatly affected, which I will explain in the list of things you can do to celebrate Hanukkah in the comforts of home.

Plan a virtual Hanukkah party with your families and friends

Even though virtual parties might not have the same experiences as in-person parties, it is possible to make them as memorable and fulfilling as possible! Invite your friends and families to your Chanukah celebration using Zoom, FaceTime, Messenger, HouseParty or Skype. The same Hanukkah traditons such as eating potato latkes (fried potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), playing dreidel games with younger children, lighting the menorah and singing and dancing to the classic Hanukkah songs can still be a part of your virtual gatherings! The only difference is, you will be in the comforts of home as opposed to at a public place or your friends/family members house.

Have a family cooking contest

With everyone savouring their moments at home, people have been enjoying the freedom and art of cooking and baking. This is no different during the holidays, because people across the globe are cooking, baking, eating and savouring some of their favourite Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's foods with their families and friends. Home is a great place to start a Hanukkah family cooking contest. Pick your favourite latke recipe, add some of your favourite veggies and additional ingredients (e.g. meat, cheese, etc.) and cook that with your household members. Make sure you have all the ingredients before concocting your creation! The household member that has the best idea for the tastiest latkes and follows all the directions successfully will receive a prize. The prize can be anything from extra TV time on a Friday night to an additional $20.00 worth of gelt. What matters is, you are bonding together and enjoying the same foods and experiences in your own home.

Sing along and dance to classic Hanukkah songs in your living rooms

For youngsters, there is no such thing as a Hanukkah celebration without the songs. Classic songs that are played at most Hanukkah celebrations include "I Have a Little Dreidel", and "Oh Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" that are sung and written by multiple artists. For families with older children, Adam Sandler's "The Chanukah Song" will be a fantastic addition to a family sing along. If one of your household members plays a musical instrument and/or has a magnificent singing voice, get him/her to play and sing the song instead of playing a song from YouTube. This will make your celebration even more special, especially when the creativity and musical talent is coming from your own family members.

Below is a video of some classic Hanukkah songs that you can play for your children at home!

Have a long-distance gift exchange

Although families ultimately give and receive gelt (money) on Hanukkah, young children also enjoy giving and receiving presents, just like during Christmas. Since many families give and receive presents and money during in-person gatherings, it is also ideal to have a long-distance gift exchange with your families and friends. Order something online and have it delivered to each others homes, to preserve the actual tradition of gift giving. Order and purchase an online gift certificate to any store or restaurant of the person's choice and send it to his/her email address. Send a cheque in the mail, just like what you would do for a long-distant family member. Whatever you are giving to the person, make sure to include a card with a special message to cheer the person up during the remainder of the pandemic.

Bake and enjoy Hanukkah cookies at home

If you can buy a pack of Hanukkah cookies from the local grocery store, you can bake some Hanukkah cookies to feast on with your household members! You don't have to be a master baker or chef to make such delicious homemade Hanukkah cookies. You just need to love baking, have all the necessary ingredients and materials, your family members and the appetite! If you don't have the necessary ingredients or supplies like Chanukah cookie cutters, icing, decorations and flour, visit your local grocery store or purchase them online from Amazon. You can find some easy Chanukah cookie recipes online or through a cookbook that you can either purchase or download on your electronic devices!

Play some dreidel games with your children

Kids love playing the dreidel! For children, no Chanukah party can be fun without playing a couple of dreidel games here and there. Anywhere in your home, set up some games for you and your children to play leisurely or competitively. If you want to play some dreidel games with your friends, host a virtual dreidel game night through Zoom, FaceTime, Houseparty, Messenger or Skype, to bring back the joy of playing dreidel games during in-person Hanukkah parties that you used to have. You can choose if you want to give prizes for the winners or not. What is important is, that you and your families/friends are enjoying the tradition, even if it is just playing for fun! If you want to make this activity a bit more creative, you can even make your own dreidels and use them during the game!

Below are directions on how to play the classic dreidel game! You can make it competitive with prizes or just play for fun without prizes! This is just one idea of a game to play with your children!

Below is a DIY Dreidel template that you can print out and create with your children!

Happy Chanukah to all of my friends and fans who are celebrating! Stay safe and healthy while you are having fun during the Winter Break!