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Presents vs. Mitzvot (Good Deeds)
Bringing Meaning to Your Hanukkah Celebration
By Cara J. Stevens
In the middle ages, students would play cards and games of chance to express the joy and festivity of the holiday. It is also a long-standing tradition to give out Hanukkah gelt (real or chocolate coins) on the fifth night of the holiday.
Traditional foods, such as potato latkes (pancakes) or sufganiyot (donuts), are usually cooked in oil to commemorate the miracle of Hanukkah which is the oil that burned in the temple for eight days and nights when there was only enough left for one day. Cooking with children or as a family is a wonderful group activity, and it's a great time to tell the story of Hanukkah while you have a captive audience.
"A game of pin the candle on the menorah is always fun," says Debbie Fine, preschool director at Temple Sholom of Greenwich, Conn. "For the youngest children, you can simplify it using Velcro or felt pieces on a felt board."
In every celebration, amidst all the commotion of presents, food, conversation and drinks, it can be quite hard to bring more tradition into a large family gathering. Bringing in a Hanukkah activity, such as a game of dreidel with chocolate Hanukkah gelt as the prize, an impromptu group cooking activity or a card game marathon, can at least remind everyone of the larger context of the holiday. *Name changed to protect privacy.
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