Looking for more ways to celebrate? Here are some ideas from Jewish Learning Venture staff!

Robyn and her family like to celebrate by lighting the candles, singing Hanukkah songs, giving tzedakah to Jewish organizations that give Hanukkah gifts to kids, and having a big celebration with extended family.

Rhona and her daughter love reading The Miracle of the Potato Latkes by Malka Penn on the first night of Hanukkah and then making the recipe from the book.

Suzanne sets a theme for each night of Hanukkah that might include dressing up as Jewish heroes, cooking/baking, reading Hanukkah stories, or playing games like charades.

Each person in Gabrielle’s family has their own hanukkiah, suited to each person’s needs (puzzle piece hanukkiot, felt, etc), and they love using jkidaccess resources to make Hanukkah rituals and celebrations accessible!

Sarah loves having her friends and family over to celebrate, read PJ library books, and do fingernail gazing by the menorah (something she learned on her trip to Tzfat), to reflect the light of the candles back onto themselves.

Irina gives each of her children small but thoughtful gifts every night of Hanukkah, and those nights have always been eagerly anticipated in their house.

Robin and her wife hide small Hanukkah gifts for their son each night and play the hot/cold game to find them.

Alanna loves chasing the feeling of being in Israel for Hanukkah and eating Roladin donuts by looking for the next best thing!

Yael loves to light the menorah, play dreidel, and eat jelly-filled donuts.

What Elana loves about Hanukkah is that each night has a different activity/focus (game night, dreidel night, gift night, tzedakah night, dance/music party night…) so that the whole family spends time together each night.

For Alyse and her sons, Hanukkah is all about the latkes, and guessing what she would serve each night — of course, one night was potato, but other nights could be corn, sweet cheese, zucchini, apple, banana, or mushroom!

Julia does something called Big Spill Hanukkah where one night is dedicated to celebrating with her sons’ former band, Big Spill.

Molly and her extended family dedicate one night of Hanukkah to gifting socks, with a fun and exciting pollyanna-style gift exchange that, over the last decade, has taken on a life of its own!

Food traditions are always special and fun for Ashley W.‘s family — they love making homemade sufganiyot and latkes and sharing them with others.

What are your favorite Hanukkah traditions? Drop us a line and let us know!

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