A variety of fun and useful Chanukah tips and facts:
Chanukah is never late or early. It's always celebrated on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev.
Latkes, potato pancakes, are traditionally associated with the holiday in the US and Europe. In Israel, however, the traditional food is jelly donuts (yum!) called sufganiyot, and here is a whole list of "alternative latkes" -- because the main crux is the oil in which the food is cooked.
The most recognizable symbol of Chanukah is probably the chanukiyah or menorah, the candelabra on which we light the candles. If you haven't heard the story of the Menorahs of Billings, Montana, I suggest you check out the children's book version of the story or the website here of the Not in Our Town movement. An Anti-Semite threw a brick through the window of a 6-year-old Jewish boy who'd placed this menorah in the window. In response, the entire town of Billings put paper menorahs in their windows. (Personal note, I was the student rabbi in Billings for a year while in school.)
Drippy candles? Put them in the freezer in advance.
Check out this crazy list of all the people listed in Adam Sandler's Chanukah Song
Can't remember the words to all the Chanukah songs you think you know? Print some songsheets here.
Did you know that you don't have to make a dreidel out of clay?
In my house, we decorate for Chanukah by putting up shiny paper streamers and Happy Chanukah signs. Most of them are inherited from my parents' house!
We light one menorah for each family member. Will we have to light for the baby this year? I guess so! Maybe I need to go out and buy a new menorah!
See more Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer
and stay tuned all this week for my Chanukah Countdown Party...
And now...the Giveaway!
I am so excited to offer a FREE Chanukah gift tray ($25 value) from the Oh! Nuts, a company offering beautiful food gifts of chocolate and nuts.
(although truthfully, you can use the gift certificate to buy non-Chanukah items too!)Plus! A Chanukah discount...10% off a a Chanukah or any order on http://www.ohnuts.com/, just use code HBW1116 when checking out.
How you can win:
1. Make a comment here or on any of my Chanukah Countdown Party posts. Say something nice about Chanukah. This is your entry! You can enter each day - once per day. Come back and visit all week!
2. If you feel so inclined (I'd like it a lot), post on your blog or tell a friend about this giveaway and link back to me.
(you can grab my Chanukah Countdown Party code too:
<a href="http://imabima.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc126/imabima/chanukahcountdown.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>)
3. Don't forget to give me a way to get in touch with you if you win!
4. Contest ends on Sunday, December 2nd at 5pm. I will post the winner Monday morning!
To grab my cool badge, here's the code:
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc126/imabima/chanukahcountdown.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Previous Chanukah Countdown Party Posts:
How do you spell Chanukah?
17 comments:
I love latkes!
If you'd be interested, you could certainly post this in with the WInter Bazaar where I'm collecting holiday ideas--we have a sad shortage of ideas outside of the typical Christmas stuff.
What a fun post, loads of good Channukah ideas. I'm going to have to go print off some of those song lyrics, I can never remember them all. I can't wait for latkes, and my son has already asked if we can swing by the bakery for sufganiyot today.
Count me in for the giveaway too please, it would make a great treat for my nutty and nut-loving parents as they celebrate their first holiday in their new home.
Hi, there! I just found you through Robin. Really nice to meet another Jewish blogger -- we can't wait for Hanukkah around here!
Woohoo, what great fun. We are doing the Hanukkah count down at our house too!! I will post something on my blog as well!
Some wonderful and great Chanukah ideas. :)
In my house - we are a mixed marriage, I'm Jewish and my husband is Episcopalian (light) so we do both. Our Holiday tree arrives this saturday and we will put regular ornaments along with some stars of david as well on the tree.
One of the first years after my parent's split, we put up a holiday tree just to annoy my dad - but we got it half off 2 days after Xmas. (GRIN) And of course, we decorated it with pearls and lights.
I will light my menorah this year as always - and my husband will debate giving me my present on Chanukah or on Xmas. Always fun to watch. :)
Have a great holiday - and for now - i have to start planning the latke fest (though I *DO* like the jelly donut idea.)
I'm so excited for my SIL's latkes this year! We missed them last year due to illness. Plus, this year my nephews will be old enough to sing songs with us!
I'm another one who found you through Robin.
I love this. Yay. A giveaway that isn't Xmas themed. :-)
This just inspired me to post about Chanukah and while I originally intended it to be a light blog entry, it turned into a far deeper one.
I know it's a minor holiday, but it's so important to me. I LOVE seeing my children's faces lit by the flames of the menorah and feeling connected to the generations of women before me who also saw that light reflected in their children's eyes.
I am sooo happy to have found some others who celebrate Hanukah. I was beginning to feel all alone....
Happy Chanuka!!
Thank you for the links.
It's good for children to learn about how other people celebrate the main parts of their belief/religion.
And thanks for the idea with the candle.
Feel welcome to visit my site
Laane on the World
Have a great day!
i have been reading your weekly haikus, but i just found your chanukah countdown. this is awesome.
It's shocking that people are so full of hate for their fellow man--especially in a country that--Hello!--was founded on the premise of religious tolerance. Worse, most of the hatemongers pretend to be Christians.
On a lighter note, I've got the Adam Sandler song in my head now :)
That looks delicious!!
I blogged ya :
http://contestaddict.blogspot.com
It's not really Chanukah until you've heard the Chanukah Song.
K.
Oh, its so nice to see a Channukah giveaway amidst all these Christmas ones! Thanks! I can't wait to eat my mother in law's latkes, baby! YUMMM!!!
Oy, I hate using my Blogger account. I also hate when Hanukkah (I'm an "H" Hanukkah person) is so early in the month. I'd rather have it at the same time as Xmas. My family is Jewish, but not religious, and we've always given out our presents on Xmas Eve, mostly because we needed one day where no one had to work the next day. Until my early 20's, we used to get together with my aunt & uncle and their kids and grandkids, when they appeared. We never had a tree though.
My partner isn't Jewish, so I feel okay having a tree if she wants one, although we haven't had one the last few years. But, we light the menorah. We also have a menorah little light to put in the window, along with our Santa, and our Ho Ho Ho decoration.
It's not as much fun when you aren't a little kid...and when don't have any little kids saying, "Aren't you DONE drinking your coffee YET?" It'll probably be another five or ten years before we have little ones around again.
We light our menorah for Hanukkah and have latkes. My brother and I used to roast marshmallows over the menorah. Mmm, Hanukkahmallows.
My favorite album is "Hanukkah Rocks" by LeeVees. The band is made up of one guy from The Zambonis and one guy from Guster. It's a fun album. "Kosher Kuts" by Eric Schwartz is entertaining too.
Wow, what a weird blathery comment. I'm wiped out from NaBloPoMo and work and sick kitties. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
P.S. I'm here from the NaBloPoMo Jews.
Your site is amazing. I make latkes each Chanukah for the family and love them.
Post a Comment