Throwing the Perfect Hanukkah Party

The holiday season is just around the corner, and this is the best time to start preparing for the perfect party. However, not all of us celebrate Christmas, some of us celebrate Hanukkah or even Kwanzaa, so if you are going to celebrate Hanukkah this year, then you ought to do it well. Get everyone to wear their ugly Hanukkah sweater and have your own ugly sweater competition. Hanukkah is a joy, and unlike Christmas, it is not only 1 day; it is an 8-day celebration. This year Hanukkah started early on November 28th and will end on December 6th, but according to the Hebrew calendar, it starts on the 25th month of Kislev. So, get your Hanukkah sweater on, and let’s delve deeper into how to throw the perfect Hanukkah party.

Timing

You have to decide when you want to throw your Hanukkah party because it runs for 8-days, so you need to set up on a specif day. So, this gives you ample time to plan and get ready for the party. The most sensible thing to do is throw it over the weekend because this means most of your guests will be free but let’s be real; you can throw your Hanukkah party anytime you want because it’s your party, and you do whatever you want. And no one is going to complain about eating latkes, matzah ball soups, and drinking alcohol. You can also throw your Hanukkah party before or even after the actual 8 nights of Hanukkah, and this means you can still celebrate it around the same time as Christmas and have your own Hanukkah party with your friends. I’ll be honest for a minute, and it’s hard to keep track of what day Hanukkah starts or ends each year because it changes from year to year, and if my mom doesn’t tell me or if I don’t google it, I would be able to know it.

Décor

A menorah or the traditional nine branches candles is the perfect centerpiece for your table. When it comes to menorahs, mine is a family heirloom that has been passed down for generations and is the same menorah that I take out each year and light for Hanukkah. Throw a couple of dreidel on your table, and your guest can play with them if they are bored or to have fun. You can also throw your Christmas decoration out too and use some fairy lights. Fairylights are always a great addition to make your décor pop out.

Drink

 

Well, what’s a great party without booze? Now we are not telling you you have to drink to have fun, but for me, booze and great food are the makings of a perfect party. Okay, if you are ballin’ on a budget, then you ought to have a BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze) Hanukkah party. You can have your own bar and have specialty cocktails and make Hanukkah inspired party. Make a dreidel-inspired cocktail and use blue curacao to give it that OG blue dreidel color. Also, eggnog is always appreciated for the holiday season and is one of my favorite holiday drinks.

Food

Let’s get to the good stuff; what’s a good party without good food. And what’s Hanukkah with latkes and matzah ball soup? If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what latkes are, then I’m very sad for you. Latkes are the most glorious form of potato; it is finely grated and fired, a bit like a hash brown. And you can never really go wrong with latkes, and they are a classic for a reason. If you aren’t a chef or someone who can cook like me (the only thing I can cook is ramen noodles), then catering is the way to go, or Trader Joe’s is a good alternative too. For me, my mom’s food for her Hanukkah party is the best; she would make only traditional food like roast beef, pot roast, carrot tzimmes, potatoes, and stuffed vine leaves.

Sound off in the comments section below and tell us your favorite part of Hanukkah.