Hanukkah party ?

[stevierocks]

I have been invited to a very good friends Hanukkah party , it is my very first . Anyone attend / have one ? I don’t know if/ what I should bring , and if anything specific happens or is celebrated ..any input ? 

[Gator Pam]

First thing to keep in mind is that the festival of Hanukkah is not a holy day, such as Shabbos, Rosh HaShannah, or Yom Kippur. While it is religious based, it is more ethnic/cultural, similar to Thanksgiving. In fact, when the Ethiopian Jews started their immigration to Israel in the 1970s (I think?), they had never heard of Hanukkah because their community had left the area where the sages were creating such an event prior to it happening, and they had no contact with the greater Jewish community in all of those centuries.

 

As such, the party will probably be a party, with very little religious significance, except for perhaps the lighting of the menorah and the decorations. Traditional foods tend to be fried; the most common served are potato pancakes and/or jelly doughnuts.

 

Gifts are given on Hanukkah, but it varies by household. Some only give gifts to children under the age of b’nai mitzvot (age 13); others give gifts to everyone. Because it is an eight day festival, most gifts tend to be trinkets, but others go all out, equating the Hanukkah gift exchange to Christmas gift giving. I would check with your friend as to what they wish their guests, especially non Jewish friends, to bring, if anything.

 

To get a feel for Hanukkah, I love to recommend this video by a Jewish a capella group called Six13. It s very well done musically, but you’ll also notice there is a lot of humor (no, that’s not blood on the “drummer’s” shirt, it’s supposed to be a jelly doughnut stain).

 

I hope this helped! Feel free to ask about anything else.

Edited November 1, 2023 by Gator Pam
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[Reinholt1]

And there is SINGING .....lot's of SINGING!!!... That's my favorite part!!!!   

[stevierocks]

Thank you you guys . I’m so glad I asked . I would have felt like a fool not bringing gifts . So.. would I likely bring gifts for everyone there ? Or just the one who invited me ?  

[Gator Pam]

5 hours ago, stevierocks said:

Thank you you guys . I’m so glad I asked . I would have felt like a fool not bringing gifts . So.. would I likely bring gifts for everyone there ? Or just the one who invited me ?  

Again, ask your friend what’s expected at their party. Traditions and customs vary from family to family.

[Reinholt1]

A bottle of kosher wine.  Good kosher wine.  2 if you think it's a large party..... Heck we want lots of singing...... take 2 anyways!   Whether they are orthodox or reform.... Whether the party is more traditional or more relaxed.  ..... All welcome a good vintage a kosher wine.     It's an easy goy  gift that rarely misses! 

[stevierocks]

10 hours ago, Reinholt1 said:

A bottle of kosher wine.  Good kosher wine.  2 if you think it's a large party..... Heck we want lots of singing...... take 2 anyways!   Whether they are orthodox or reform.... Whether the party is more traditional or more relaxed.  ..... All welcome a good vintage a kosher wine.     It's an easy goy  gift that rarely misses! 

That’s a great idea  . I am going over there and making apple sauce ( never thought anyone makes apple sauce from scratch .. you just buy a jar … lol)  but to her it’s a big ordeal . So I will be learning how to do that . Maybe I can figure out more then . I don’t want to come right out and ask , but may have to . She did tell me about 30 people 

10 hours ago, Reinholt1 said:

A bottle of kosher wine.  Good kosher wine.  2 if you think it's a large party..... Heck we want lots of singing...... take 2 anyways!   Whether they are orthodox or reform.... Whether the party is more traditional or more relaxed.  ..... All welcome a good vintage a kosher wine.     It's an easy goy  gift that rarely misses! 

I think I need more than 2 . It’s 30 people 

[Reinholt1]

I am sure the host will have plenty of wine for the guests.   Often a gift of wine at any get together gets put aside by the host anyway.  It's more of a thank you gift. Not knowing if your family keeps kosher or not, it's just safer and more thoughtful to bring a gift of kosher wine.  Since you don't keep kosher... there is literally nothing you can make that will be acceptable in a kosher home.  (Unless you make it in their kosher kitchen with their kosher ingredients under their supervision......Can't mix meat with dairy.)  Don't take that as a slight.  It's their way of living out their faith.  Think of it kinda like Catholics not eating meat on Friday...it's a devotion/act of faith.    

 

The only way to know if your friend keeps kosher... or will accept your making something and bringing it .....is if you ask.  And keep in mind, your friend may a reform Jew or a cultural Jew who does not keep kosher.... usually....but may have family and friends who do.  And so for get-togethers  like this she may be keeping kosher ... but!.... will not care (or keep kosher) when you bring over a plate of holiday cookies 2 weeks later.

 

Homemade apple sauce is easy to make.....I learned to make it when I was made 9 or 10.  Just a lot of work peeling and cutting the apples. lol! (Mom knew how to keep a kid busy....here! peel apples....here! peel potatoes!).   And what could be better than homemade applesauce on homemade latkes!!   Your host just wants to make the holidays special.

 

Just relax and enjoy it....it will be similar to a family get together at Christmas....the food will be a bit different but they are still the traditional family favorites.....the music will be different... But many are catchy tunes.  I love singing the Hanukkah hymns/songs as much as I do Christmas hymns.  (I admit I am not so fond of some of the secular Christmas songs.....).  Hanukkah is about being with good family and friends and enjoying the holidays.  The same as a Christmas.   Enjoy it.   I am envious you get to attend.

[Gator Pam]

How did the party go, if it’s happened? What did you bring, if anything?