hanukkah starts so early

this yr i am hosting a small hanukkah dinner.. trying to start my own little tradition but since hanukkah starts ont he 15th which is the first nite and we have a birthday party to attend i obviously cant throw my haunkkah celebration on that nite :( should i do it on the last nite of hanukkah then??

any one have any nice traditions for the jewish holiday the would like to share?

Re: hanukkah starts so early

bumping :)

Re: hanukkah starts so early

I would have it on saturday night - that would be the second night, but the first full day.
when my family does a hannukah celebration, we do a secret santa so that we don't have to buy a million gifts each.

Re: hanukkah starts so early

I would do it on the Sat. night. Being that the first night falls on Shabbat anyway. The first night is usually just a family time for a lot of people.

Every year our group of friends get together for Hanukah at someone's house.

You can invite some people over, have some latkes. Play some music (religious or not). My family is Israeli and my DH is a sephardic Jew (like many of our friends) so we end up listening to Alabina and other middle eastern artists. We also eat soofgayniyot which is an Israeli tradition which is basically jelly donuts. Also load up on the Gelt.

As we got older, we don't really exchange gifts with friends. Just little tokens.

Re: hanukkah starts so early

michi---that's my tradition as well...cooking a big dinner for hanukah. i'm doing it on the 15th. shy don't u do it for the 2nd nite

Re: hanukkah starts so early

the 15 is not very early for Hanukah. Have it on Sat. night!!

Re: hanukkah starts so early

We're doing ours on Saturday night. It just makes it easier for everyone to get there. Our tradition is playing dreidle drinking games.

Edited for spelling!

Message edited 12/1/2006 2:18:16 PM.