Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: How do you celebrate Hannukah?
From: sara@austin.ibm.com ()
Date: 14 Dec 92 17:07:17 +1700

Originator: sara@drwho.austin.ibm.com
Date: Wed, 9 Dec 1992 17:46:25 GMT
Reply-To: sara@austin.ibm.com
Organization: IBM Austin


My family does the basic religious obvservance each night
of the holiday of lighting the candles (one menorah for the 
whole family) and saying and singing the blessings.  Beyond 
that we:

Decorate the house a few days in advance with mostly hand-made 
items.  We also read relevant books appropriate for the
childrens' ages (currently 3 & 7).  Some of these stories
explain the holiday, and some are stories about others'
experiences of the holidays.  (Herschel and the Hannukah 
Goblins is one of our favorites, though I may not have the
title exactly right.)

After lighting the candles and singing the blessings, we sing
a few other songs, e.g. Rock of Ages, I Have a Little Dreidel,
etc.  Then I usually give each child one or two pieces of
gelt (gold-foil wrapped, chocolate coins).  Finally, the children
hunt for their presents which I have hidden.  They usually get
two presents a night, maybe three.  We do hot and cold hints to
help in the search.  Over the course of the 8 nights, they get
maybe 2 or 3 "big" presents and lots of little ones.  They always
give their presents (hand-made only for my little one, hand-made
and purchased for the older) on the first night.  They just can't
wait.  My husband also gives me my present on the first night.
(My husband isn't Jewish, so I give him a Christmas present on
Christmas instead.)  What we do then is kind of based on the
presents.  Sometimes we read aloud from new books.  Lots of times
we play dreidel, wagering for shiny pennies, nuts, or raisins.

On the first Saturday night of the holiday, we have a party.  It
is mostly designed for children, but whole families attend.  Lots
of people bring their own menorahs, and we do a general menorah
lighting, blessings, songs, etc.  We do not have a present hunt.
I then end up spending the entire rest of the party making latkes
(potato pancakes which serve as vehicles for conveying oil into
people's mouths).  They are eaten non-stop with apple sauce and/or
sour cream or just plain.  I will have already made lots of 
cookies shaped liked menorahs, stars, etc., and the children
spend a fair amount of time decorating them with icing and
sprinkles.  When the kids have had enough of this (grown-ups
are still busy wolfing down latkes), they play dreidel wagering
pennies.  (With so many kids, using nuts or raisins gets pretty
gross.)  Finally, we hand out gifts to the children who've 
come, open any brought (NOT a requirement), and send everyone
on their way.  My husband then scrapes grease off me for about
an hour.

We would like to incorporate a story telling into the party.
Does anyone else do a party where they do that?  How is it
done so as not to turn off all the children ready to bounce
off the walls?

During the eight day holiday, we also usually attend at least
one other party.
-- 
Sara Blatt
internal:	sara@drwho.austin.ibm.com
external:	sara@netmail.austin.ibm.com
My opinions are my own, not necessarily IBM's!