Hanukkah, my all-time favorite holiday, is coming up fast. It is filled with light, fun and happiness. I’m biased, of course, since I’m a Hanukkah baby. Literally, I was born during Hanukkah, and I share the same birthday with my grandmother. So yes, it’s always been double the fun!
As my gift to you, I decided it was time for a new spin on how to celebrate Hanukkah without breaking the bank, and while maybe adding some entertaining photos to your albums. Here are a few fun-tastic ideas on how to spend quality time with your family and bring the holiday to light.
The Dreidel
Spinning the dreidel is all about chance and seeing where your luck lands you. What better way to celebrate spinning than by taking a family trip to the ice rink and going skating. Granted, it might take more than a lesson or two to get your spins really going, but most ice rinks have reasonable rates for public sessions. Individual coaches can get pricey, but rinks do offer classes, usually once a week. Give it a whirl for Hanukkah. It’s a fun and beautiful sport, not to mention amazing exercise, which you might need if you follow my next suggestion.
Jelly Doughnuts
It’s all about the oil. The Jewish people found one little flask of holy oil which lasted for eight days. Now it is our obligation at this time of year to completely ignore our nutritionists and march down to the local doughnut shop and load up on sugar and carbohydrates. The key to the jelly doughnut part of the celebration is to eat in moderation; we don’t want to have to spend 18 hours at the ice rink. We just want to eat enough doughnuts to commemorate our victory. According to my unscientific calculations, no more than 2.2 doughnuts per person, with a small hot chocolate, should be sufficient without incurring stomachaches. (By the way, that’s 2.2 doughnuts per visit, with potentially up to eight visits during Hanukkah.) And don’t forget the whipped cream on top.
Winning the Battle
Hanukkah is about fighting the odds and winning. An exciting family activity is to go play paintball. I speak from experience. Divide your family and friends into teams, maybe adults versus kids or men versus women, and run around in the woods to reenact a battle. It’s a bonding experience and super fun. One word of advice: wear warm clothing. And if you have any extra padding (I’m not talking about padding from overeating the doughnuts), bring it along. When it comes to battle, it’s always good to be prepared.
Oil
Now that you are horrified at the thought of sending your family off to shoot paintballs, I have an idea for the more laid-back readers. In honor of celebrating the oil, go get a manicure. It’s a great opportunity for some quality family time. Just don’t forget to have the manicurist rub the oil on your fingertips. If you want to go one better, schedule a massage. It’s a sure way to relax and, let’s be honest, when did you last take time out with a family member to treat yourselves?
Macabees
The Maccabi Games are named after our fearless warriors, the Maccabees. Why not start training for the next big event? Get your family together, find some willing neighbors and arrange a touch football game. This way, every family member can be a part of the activity. Simply running around and getting fresh air is addicting, and it could inspire you to continue exercising. You might even find you get excited about it and become a warrior athlete yourself.
Latkes
If exercise is a ridiculous concept, no worries, let’s be realistic — what is Hanukkah without latkes? There is something so magical about smelling my Mom’s latkes. She always goes all out; there are no healthy thoughts in her batches of potato pancakes. Even if you’re not a cook, it’s a fun project to find a good recipe, or even research your family traditions of the kinds of latkes that have been eaten in your ancestors’ homes. Also, spending time together in the kitchen is a relationship-building experience, grating potatoes and mixing ingredients. I know if you fry latkes together, chances are you will laugh together.
The Menorah
Creating your own menorah is a memorable experience and there are so many ways to make one. While there are a few religious rules to follow, there are a million different materials to use, from clay, to bottle caps to glass. Just make sure the material is not flammable. While you can find all sorts of ideas at your local craft store, if creativity isn’t your thing, take this as an opportunity to find an art class through your synagogue or local JCC to jump-start your imagination.
Light
Hanukkah is known as the festival of lights. Years ago I saw a quote that I love in a museum in Jerusalem. It was: “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Perhaps you can take a few minutes to look at all the light you have in your life, whether it comes from good friends, good family, or even a fun newspaper article that makes you laugh. There is light everywhere, so be sure to capture some and let it glow. Soon I will be lighting my Hanukkah candles, and then not long after that, my birthday ones. What can I say but let it glow, let it glow, let it glow! Happy Hanukkah!
Masada Siegel, otherwise known as the “Fun Girl Correspondent,” is a freelance writer in Scottsdale. She can be reached at fungirlcorrespondent@gmail.com.
