With all of the uncertainty, fear and conflict tied to religion in our world today, I feel especially compelled to share a few holiday traditions with the hope of teaching about understanding, appreciation and, above all, celebrating together.
The history: Chanukah (חֲנֻכָּה), otherwise known as “The Festival of Lights,” is celebrated beginning on 25 Kislev (כִּסְלֵו). Because of the Jewish lunar calendar and the addition of a month (instead of a leap day), this can mean that Chanukah is celebrated anytime between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. This year (2015/5776) it begins on Sunday, December 6th at sundown and ends on Sunday, December 13th. The basic story of Chanukah is that the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in a war and there was only enough oil to light the menorah for one day but it miraculously lasted for eight (hence eight nights). For more detailed information, visit this great chabad website.
As one of the only Jewish children in my class growing up in lower Fairfield County, my mom volunteered to host a Hanukkah party each year for a few of my classmates. This was a great way to let some of my friends experience some of the most fun parts of the holiday – think tradition over religion. Considering that only about 2% of the American population celebrate Chanukah, it gets a fair amount of billing around this time of the year. Here are our favorite foods, crafts, and stories that you can enjoy even if you aren’t Jewish!
Foods: Chanukah favorites include latkes and sufganiyot (donuts) because they are both fried in symbolic oil. My family members have also been known to enjoy a blueberry blintz with sour cream and cinnamon sugar. I love to eat latkes with applesauce or sour cream but because of the hot oil splatter, the actual cooking can be slightly dangerous to involve children. They can be baked in a 375 degree oven, the mix just needs to be drained for longer to hold the cakes together.
Ingredients: 1 lb potatoes, 1/2 lb onions, 1 egg (beaten), 1 teaspoon salt, (breadcrumbs optional) 1 cup oil (for frying). (I usually double, triple or quadruple this recipe… also, be warned – your clothes will smell like potato oil for a few washings!)
Directions: Using a food processor (to speed up the process and to carefully involve kids), shred the potatoes and onion into a large bowl of cold water. Soak for 2″ then drain thoroughly on a paper towel. (This prevents browning) Meanwhile, heat the oil over high heat. Add egg and salt (breadcrumbs if desired) and mix well. When oil is hot, make a small cake of potato mix, squeezing out the liquid. Drop it into the oil carefully, fry for 2-3″ until golden brown and then flip to fry for another 2-3″. (Four to five latkes can be fried at once.) Drain on paper towels. Latkes reheat very well from frozen or refrigerated. Serve warm and enjoy!
Crafts: There are tons of great Chanukah crafts out there – from potato star stamping to coloring a Macaabee family tree. The simpler, the better in my house for now! Here are our two favorites this year:
- Make your own menorah – (image above) My 4 1/2 year old loved (!) designing this mosaic, putting the candle holders in, and painting the other side with smile faces. He is so eager to light the candles and feels such pride about making his very own menorah. We will light our family heirloom one as well, but this was a great afternoon project. (Unfortunately, this kit was actually about 15 years old, but there are similar ones on Amazon and here.)
- Star of David suncatchers – thank you Pinterest – link here. (We didn’t paint the popsicle sticks or string beads.) These were especially easy to make and beautiful in our eastern-facing dining windows at breakfast. Materials: popsicle sticks, tissue paper (any color!), glue, foil and brushes.
Stories: Each year, on the first night of Chanukah, we gift our children one new book to add to their collection. This year, one will be getting Elmo’s Little Dreidel and our older son is ready for the Story of Hanukkah. Last year, I read Latke, The Lucky Dog to my older son’s preschool class and all of the kids loved it. Our favorites combine historical information (the actual story) with important symbols (the menorah and dreidel). Two Holidays is a great one for my family because we do celebrate Christmas as well, just like the main character.
What are your favorite Chanukah traditions?
