Hosting a Chappy Chanukka Party

November 28, 2012 6:49 PM

[Chappy Chanukkah party]: Lots of latkes. Now I need help with music and games.

We're throwing a chanukkah gathering for our friends. We're making latkes and our friends are pot lucking the rest of the food. We will have 10-12 adults and 4-5 kids, all under 5. Thoughts for fun games for kids? A fun (not cheesy) soundtrack? Special treats to have around? (We already have gelt and colorful dreidels to play with). Decorations?

Thanks!

posted by anya32 to food & drink (9 answers total)

In The Fiddler's House might be a little serious and/or mournful for your tastes, but it's a wonderful album of Itzhak Perlman and others playing klezmer.
posted by ChuraChura at 7:32 PM on November 28, 2012

Pin the candle on the menorah? Spoon race with latke condiments? (Might get messy). Of course, lots of dreidel. Having a small menorah for each kid is really special, and so it putting them in the window (the actual mitzvah!) and going outside and admiring them.

My mom always made sufganiyot. If you choose a baked version, they're pretty easy and still oh so delicious.

If you want to go pop-y / less serious with the music, there's a new a capella group that recently spun off from the Maccabeats-- they have a Hanukkah song. Plus, of course, Candlelight. These might stretch your definition of cheesy, though...
posted by charmcityblues at 7:38 PM on November 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Uhhhh...Neil Diamond of course!
posted by brookeb at 10:13 PM on November 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

(I'm going with my childhood Long Island NY spelling here...)

Hanukkah Gelt!

My ex-inlaws always had a small Christmas Tree trimmed exclusively with chocolate covered gold coins, Hannukah Gelt.

I always thought this was the coolest thing, ever.

One year it was an indoor ficus, not an evergreen tree.

Decorate a tree with Gelt! That is my suggestion here if it doesn't fall too far outside of your traditions.
posted by jbenben at 1:05 AM on November 29, 2012

The Klezmer Shack has a recent post about new releases available in time for Hanukkah. I wish I had an excuse to throw a Hanukkah party!
posted by Currer Belfry at 5:33 AM on November 29, 2012

I'm having a Latke, Birthday and JR. Eurovision party on the 8th.

I'm doing a Latke bar, so there's that. Also I'm going to Dunkin Donuts and getting the Jelly Munchkins.

My Dad always read the Channuka Story to the kids as part of the festivities, so perhaps you can find a cool book with great pictures and do that.

My Mom always wrapped up something for each of the kids, since most of our friends weren't Jewish, it was typically an ornament for their trees.

Target had some really cool decorations and also some kits for Channuka Crafts.

If you too are interested in showing Jr. Eruovision (and you SHOULD be!) you have a couple of options. We hook up the computer to the TV and download the broadcast from the website. The broadcast will be on Dec 1, so it will be archived on the site.

We do a regular Eurovision party in May, and we do Jr. Eurovision for my birthday. It's kids singing so the other kids should enjoy it and there are no commercials.

We adults goof on it mercilessly. A good time is had by all.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:56 AM on November 29, 2012

Jr. Eurovision looks amazing! And all the music recommendations are great - Neil Diamond is amazing! I like the tree idea except we don't have a Christmas tree (we don't celebrate) but that sounds like a fun idea! I wonder if we can decorate the shrub in front of the house and call it a Channukkah bush?! And the donuts! I love making homemade donuts! I totally forgot! Every year I make a Chanukkah meal as the Christmas Eve meal for my in-laws but I usually make a kugel and latkes and homemade applesauce - I'm totally making sufganiyot this year - for my party and Christmas Eve! Thanks all!
posted by anya32 at 9:39 AM on November 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

A friend of mine loved to decorate her very modern apartment for Hanukkah; she would find a large-ish bare branch, spraypaint it copper, and hang dreidels and gelt from it (using a darning needle to pierce the gelt and thread a gold cord for hanging). It was gorgeous, and free since she'd haunt the local parks to find the right branch, then take off the bark.
posted by catlet at 11:12 AM on November 29, 2012

that's a great idea, too, catlet!
posted by anya32 at 11:22 AM on November 29, 2012