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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Chanukah
How to make chanukah exciting?
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:03 pm
I don't want to get depressed. We have no friends and family. No parties every night... Don't want it to be lonely for my kids. Want them to have good memories of chanukah, despite my loneliness.
How can I make it special?
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amother
Steel


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:05 pm
Is there a chabad event near you? We like to go to their menorah lighting and parties
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amother
Honeysuckle


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:06 pm
amother OP wrote:
I don't want to get depressed. We have no friends and family. No parties every night... Don't want it to be lonely for my kids. Want them to have good memories of chanukah, despite my loneliness.
How can I make it special?


same. want to come to me?

its just me, dh and our toddler. yay lol
my daughter doesnt even chap chanukah so its going to be a regular night
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#BestBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:07 pm
Play dreidel. Maybe kvitkach for older kids

Make latkes

Buy doughnuts

Give gifts

Go on a day trip chanukah Sunday.

Do the chanukah $1 projects.

Have the kids make a chanukah skit or choir.


Last edited by #BestBubby on Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:08 pm; edited 1 time in total
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:08 pm
amother Steel wrote:
Is there a chabad event near you? We like to go to their menorah lighting and parties


Like this idea. Will try to find out
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:08 pm
amother Honeysuckle wrote:
same. want to come to me?

its just me, dh and our toddler. yay lol
my daughter doesnt even chap chanukah so its going to be a regular night


Thanks for the invite. Makes me feel better just knowing someone cares
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:09 pm
#BestBubby wrote:
Play dreidel. Maybe kvitkach for older kids

Make latkes

Buy doughnuts

Give gifts

Go on a day trip chanukah Sunday.

Do the chanukah $1 projects.

Have the kids make a chanukah skit or choir.


Great ideas. Thanks
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amother
Gray


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:28 pm
You can be depressed with family parties too Wink

Go on a walk, look at the different menorah in the windows. Notice the families with lots of members lighting, candle vs oil, etc.

Compare the holiness of the chanukah lights to the twinkling Santa's. (Ignore if this offends you. I find it heartwarming, but I'm sure it will bother others. If you don't like it, move on.)

Turn on chanukah music and dance.

Bake Chanukah cookies. Buy donuts. Play games.

Make your own happiness. Chanukah is a time of a little light making all the difference. Be that light. Smile, enjoy, and it'll spread.
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amother
Honeysuckle


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:29 pm
amother OP wrote:
Thanks for the invite. Makes me feel better just knowing someone cares


I do care and I am validating your pain.
YT is lonely and hard without family.
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amother
Papayawhip


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:47 pm
We do an activity every night. Some ideas:
Games likd matching game with prizes (from Danielle Renov- she has tons of ideas on her blog & insta page & ive found on tiktok)
Presents
Baking chanukah cookies
Making donuts/latkes
Play dreidel with diff types of nosh. Kids love when it's a whole family affair! I often do this Friday night.

I also buy cheap chanukah paper goods & set a fun table the first night.
I set the table for shabbos in a chanukah theme, nothing fancy, maybe sprinkle gelt, or with menorah shaped placemats I've made.

All these things create tons of memories & the kids look forward every year!)
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nicole81




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:51 pm
Here's what I do, as it's usually just us;

I make a big batch of sufganiyot before chanukah and freeze the raw, risen circles. Before lighting I take enough circles out for the family to let thaw and then make them fresh while the kids set up the table with donut decorating items, toppings, and frostings. Every night we have a mini sufganiyot party.

I also usually get a new game for the family that we play on some night.

I make a Kahoot with questions about chanukah, random facts, and funny questions about family members.
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amother
Pansy


 

Post Sun, Dec 04 2022, 11:59 pm
We don’t have parties to go to either.
A wise friend once told me-
Your family are the people that sit around the table with you!
We do our own fun!
Each night we dim lights and all kids light. Then we sing and dance by the candles.
First 30 min mom doesn’t work as per the Chanukah miracle so I buy the Chanukah crafts and we sit on the floor by the Licht and do them together.( sand art, scratch paper, perler beads (edible with licorice or reg type) )
I always buy decorations and we decorate the whole living room/ entrance way and window where we light.
We also get disposable tablecloths and paper goods and set the table and then each night I’ll do something with the kids. (After the 30 min!)
We make donuts / churros fried in oil
Latkes and apple sauce
Invite a neighbor over and do donuts in donut maker (did this a few years)
Sometimes we drive to see other menorahs and then go get ice cream
One night I’ll buy them an individual present and one night I buy a family gift.

This pretty much sums up our Chanukah! Pure family bonding!
It’s a lot of fun and the kids really enjoy.
Have a good attitude and don’t forget to count the blessings around you bec they are there.
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amother
Pansy


 

Post Mon, Dec 05 2022, 12:00 am
nicole81 wrote:
Here's what I do, as it's usually just us;

I make a big batch of sufganiyot before chanukah and freeze the raw, risen circles. Before lighting I take enough circles out for the family to let thaw and then make them fresh while the kids set up the table with donut decorating items, toppings, and frostings. Every night we have a mini sufganiyot party.

I also usually get a new game for the family that we play on some night.

I make a Kahoot with questions about chanukah, random facts, and funny questions about family members.



That sounds so cute!
What type of questions do you play in kahoot?
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BrisketBoss




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 05 2022, 12:06 am
I learned about the concept of Chanukah parties from Imamother. Very Happy

I did not grow up frum, and we loved Chanukah. We had special songs that we sang, including one that built up, adding a verse each night. We each lit our own menorah. We had a special Chanukah tablecloth and there was gelt artfully arranged on it. We had latkes with sour cream and applesauce. Sometimes we played dreidel. And of course, there were presents to open after candle lighting. I never had x-mas envy; our holiday was obviously way better and less mainstream lol.

Speaking of presents, there is a fun tradition of writing clues that the children have to follow to find them.
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amother
Khaki


 

Post Mon, Dec 05 2022, 12:31 am
I pick it a few new books and my kids get to pick the from the new books for the bedtime story every night. I usually pick them up on sale in target.

We bake, play dreidel, eat slightly upgraded suppers. I usually take them to the dollar store to buy papergoods and things to decorate the house.

One night is doughnuts, one is latkeas, churros, etc.

We get into party mode and have a lot of fun.
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#BestBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 05 2022, 12:57 am
Sing Light up the Night

The scene was set back when
A group of fearless men
Stood up for their beliefs and risked their lives

They acted with one voice
And firmly made a choice
This nation be ensured that it survive

Their prayers were answered each day
Their minds fixed on their destination
With victory they made their way
No longer deprived
At last they arrived
To a miracle lasting for all generations
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Light up the Night
The candles burning bright
On the festival of lights
Here on chanukah

Our nation as a whole
Can reach a common goal
With the fire in our soul
The Light of chanukah

We face a daunting task
One that we cannot mask
A danger just as real as it was then


Let's stand with open eyes
And hear our brothers cries
And courage now is needed once again

Let's carry our banner with pride
For this freedom how long we have waited
With the words of the Torah our guide

If we stand as one
It can't be undone
Just think of the wonders that can be created
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Light up the Night
The candles burning bright
On the festival of Light
The Light of chanukah

We answer to one name
Our heritage the same
It's the power of the flame
The Light of chanukah
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 05 2022, 8:33 am
Thanks for all the suggestions.
I see it's all a matter of perspective.
I must be emotionally ok with it and then my kids will have a great time.
Seems like we can have a nice time with just my kids but I must work on myself to be ok with it. And not just complain and kvetch that we have no parties. And everyone has so many... And no one invites us....(don't even have anyone to invite us)
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flowerpower




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 05 2022, 8:50 am
I barely have any parties and have kids that expect fun every night. So I try to do something exciting each night

One night we make our own sushi- I set up a whole station
Another night we play a game- usually whatever is in that year Chanukah lol
Another night we open the gifts and make latkes
Another night we make the official party with paper goods and some good dishes. We invite someone that would appreciate it...
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Oldest




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 05 2022, 10:19 am
I plan on doing something with my kids each night. They are little (3 and 1.5) so they don't need much...
The first few nights will ne opening presents and playing with their new toys
Making Chanukah sugar cookies and decorating them with food markers
decorating donuts
making dreidel cupcakes
chanukah project
One afternoon I am inviting the neighborhood kids their age and making a little party
dancing
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amother
Cadetblue


 

Post Mon, Dec 05 2022, 10:26 am
amother OP wrote:
I don't want to get depressed. We have no friends and family. No parties every night... Don't want it to be lonely for my kids. Want them to have good memories of chanukah, despite my loneliness.
How can I make it special?

I can tell you what I do
I make an amazing savings order every year before Chanukah. I buy a bunch of colored plastic tablecovers with matching paper goods. I also get whatever cheap Chanukah crafts they have.
Every night or almost every night of Chanukah I decorate the table and put a craft by each child’s place. I try to do some kind of Chanukah food like latkes for dinner, and there are fresh donuts for dessert.
One night there is a more major party in the dining room where I give wrapped presents and maybe we play a game.
I do have the occasional family thing but we go out of duty and I don’t rely on that.
I also try to bake Chanukah cookies with them beforehand and we hand that out as well.
They look fwd to it all year!
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