Chanukah Party Guide: Freebies & Fun

The party guide helps plan a themed Chanukah event with ideas, tips in the food departments, creative crafts, and clever conversation chats, menus, recipes, cookies, cakes and food labels. Free printable games, puzzles, place name cards and coloring pages.

Chanukah Party Store

Chanukah Event Music

Chanukah is a time of great remembrance and celebration for people of the Jewish faith; not to mention a time of divine musical celebration.

The ultimate Chanukah party play list represents a refined balance of songs that celebrate, songs that honor, and songs that remember. This Chanukah party playlist might include:

Oh, Chanukah, Oh, Chanukah! by Tzlil V'zemer Children's Choir
Haneirot Halalu by Avraham Fried
The Hannukah Song by Adam Sandler
The Dreidel Song by Samuel S. Grossman
Ma�oz Tzur, or �Rock of Ages,� by Mordecia
Yemei Ha'Chanukah by David and the High Spirit
In the Window (My Candles) by Susan Salidor
Any great Chanukah party play list will sound even better when supplemented with a full line of party supplies. These should include a stately, fully lit Menorah to serve as a table centerpiece, along with a full selection of Menorah-themed tableware, with patterned plates, cups, napkins and bowls. Kids in particular would love decorative dreidels as take home party favors; and a rich assortment of ivory, blue and silver party candles should fill the party area for this grand holiday festivity.

Young and old alike will enjoy a spirited Chanukah party filled with good food, quality music and great times. Mazel tov! Game idea: take a clear container, then fill with candy, toys or other objects and have the guests guess the number of items inside. Photos provide such lasting memories; take time to designate someone as the photographer at a social occasion. Gather up some leftover brown packing boxes, wrap them in a matching theme color design and place them throughout the event space for instant decorations.

Homemade Chanukah Party Supplies

Chanukah begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev in the Jewish calendar (November/December). In honor of this special celebration, Festival of Lights, have children make homemade Chanukah party supplies. Numerous party supplies can be done with minimal materials. Research suggests children are usually less capable and less comfortable expressing themselves using words; therefore art can be used as a creative form of expression. Chanukah arts & crafts projects for children to consider include, egg carton Menorahs, star of David Photo Magnets, Dreidel magnets, milk carton Dreidels, decorative Dreidel box, craft stick Star of David, dangling Dreidel door hanger, Chanukah charm bracelet, Star of David door sign, and Hanukkah/Chanukah gift can.

Not only are Chanukah homemade party supplies easy to make, but amazingly simple. Use various home supplies, along with store bought items, and any child can make arts & crafts projects for any Jewish holiday. The beauty of homemade party supplies is that once a child learns how to make one, he or she can teach his or her friends how to make their own. For children not familiar with Chanukah or any other Jewish holiday, learning how to make arts & crafts from children who are is beneficial to all parties involved.

Cakes for Chanukah

One desert choice that offers up many different choices, it can create a Holiday Chanukah Fudge Chocolate Cake for all to enjoy. Go over the recipe to see what will be needed when picking up the party supplies. This cake reflect three different parts to making it; the cake, icing and garnish. With having the ingredients ready, here are the directions, start by preheating the oven to 350 and take 2 9-inch pans, line with parchment paper, lightly grease the pans. Next blend sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and mix into a large bowl. Using a separate bowl for flour, salt, cinnamon, coco and baking soda and power. Combine the two groups and drizzle cola in, on slow use an electric mixer for about 3 minutes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or cake bounces back when lightly touched. Get the icing made with melted chocolate, butter, vanilla with cocoa, shortening and confectioner�s sugar. Whip on high speed, slowly add water, cola or half and half to achieve a light fluffy consistency. Use a cardboard circle to place the cake on and then start spreading the ice over the cake, add second layer and report. On top garnish with coins and Chanukah candles for the finishing touch.

Chanukah Parties

Chanukah is an eight-day holiday beginning on the Twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev. It celebrates the miraculous victory of the Jews against Greek persecution and religious oppression. Chanukah celebration usually lands in December.

In addition to being victorious in war, another miracle occurred. When the Maccabees came to rededicate the Temple, they found only one flask of oil with which to light the Menorah. This small flask lasted for eight days. One version of the reason for lighting the Menorah, each day for eight days, is in celebration for this miracle, but there are many answers offered to resolve the question and the discussion surrounding these answers. If there was enough oil in the flask that was found to last one day, then the miracle of the oil lasting for was really only a miracle for the latter seven of the eight days. Yet, we know that we celebrate Chanukah for eight days! What is the reason behind the eight day celebration that we have?

The Bais Yosef himself offers three explanations to the Chanukah celebration lasting eight days. The ones preparing the Menorah for lighting knew it would take eight days for more oil to be gotten, so they divided the flask into eight parts, so the Menorah could be lit every day. They never expected them to remain lit for the entire eight days, but the miracle occurred when the small amounts of oil added each day were enough to keep the Menorah lit the entire time.

The traditional lighting has become a celebration of the miraculous victory of the Jews against persecution and religious oppression, by the Greeks, as well as a celebration of a miracle. A miracle that allowed the Menorah to continue to burn for eight days have a Brunch celebration if the evening doesn't work out as well for you.

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Chanukah History, Facts and Educational Resources

Add an educational twist to any birthday party, holiday celebration, or theme party. Share the history of the Chanukah theme to the guests. Play some free printable educational party games. Shhh don't tell the kids that they are learning!

Chanukah History & Facts

Chanukah, or Hanukkah, has an interesting history. It celebrates the rededication in Jerusalem of the holy Temple.

It begins on 25th day of Kislev, which is the Hebrew calendar. Kislev is actually November/December in the Gregorian calendar which is used by Christians and much of the world. Meaning �dedication,� the word �Hanukkah� celebrate their victory over the Syrians. Their Greek King, Antichus, outlawed the rituals of the Jews from the year 168 B.C.E. to 165 B.C.E. The Holy Temple had been seized and the worship of Zeus was to take place there. Most of the Jews were angered and fought to get their Temple back.

Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, became outraged after hearing of a group of villagers who were forced to bow to the idol of the Greeks and eat pig. He killed several soldiers, and more with every chance he had, and then went into hiding with his family.

After a year of fighting, Mattathias was dying and put his son Judah Maccabee in charge of creating a strong army to fight the Greeks. The Jews had won over the Greeks after three years of rebellion. But Judah and his soldiers were sad when they found many religious items missing or broken. This included their sacred golden menorah.

They decided to clean up the mess, repair what they could, and finish it all off when a dedicated ceremony. One thing they wanted to do most of all was to light their beloved menorah. But they only had enough oil to light it for one day. As history tells it, the menorah stayed lit with only that bit of oil for eight days. They believed this to be a miracle, because during these eight days they were able to secure more oil to keep the menorah glowing with light. Today Jews celebrate Chanukah for eight days, remembering the eight-day miracle, and by lighting one candle of the menorah for each of eight days. Decorations help transform a room into something more for that special day so look forward to learning some exciting and creative ideas. If you specify the type of clothing for a social event like summer causal, give a few examples of what is acceptable and more importantly what isn't. Decorations help transform a room into something more for that special day so look forward to learning some exciting and creative ideas. The history of Chanukah has different interpretations by each person, so use your own judgement. Share these facts with friends at a celebration.

Educational Chanukah Resources

The Party Supplies Hut has more free elementary educational teacher resources for Chanukah to use in the classroom for active learning to create lesson plans with trivia questions, games and fun activities.

History of Chanukah
More Chanukah holiday educational teachers classroom resources: