Anyone decorate for HANUKKAH?

16 years ago

My little girl is now 3 and wants me to decorate the house for Hanukkah. Having children has made me realize just how little Hanukkah stuff is out there. I found a few items on e-bay but if you celebrate Hanukkah can you please post pics or links to what you put out to celebrate the season.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

OKMoreh

16 years ago

Hanukkah tableware and linens seem to be plentiful this year; I saw them at the supermarket a few days ago. Decorations as such are unobtainable here. They are available from various Judaica stores that sell online, but the variety is pretty limited.

The idea of decorating for Hanukkah is fairly new, and in traditional religious thought Hanukkah is only a minor holiday. I'm a Hebrew-school principal, and I wrote last week in a newsletter column that families that decorate for Hanukkah rarely do so as elaborately as other families' Christmas decorations. This is partly because not a lot of stuff is available, but also partly because they sense that Hanukkah isn't equivalent to Christmas.

I had to decorate a bulletin board yesterday, so I needed big decorations. We happened to have a set of oversize marching candles (with feet, and smiley faces in the flames) in flat plastic, so I ran those across the upper part and then filled in the lower part (at child's eye level) with pictures of children and families lighting the menorah, playing dreidel, eating latkes, and so forth.

For home decorations, as noted, a color scheme of blue and white, possibly with silver, is conventional. When I lived in an apartment building where several other tenants were Jewish, the building manager would string blue and white mini lights around a mirror in the lobby. You could also string lights around a window. It is hard, perhaps impossible, to find any strings of blue and white lights, so buy an equal number of strings in white and blue and switch the bulbs around.

"Happy Hanukkah" banners of linked pieces are usually easy to find, except where I live, and I have seen commercially packaged tissue-paper Stars of David similar to what budge1 described. Perhaps you could make blue and white banners or wall hangings with Stars of David or simplified menorahs.

If you can find blue tinsel, intertwining blue and silver as a garland on a railing would certainly work.

I have in mind to make some pillows using inkjet transfer paper to print pictures from Jewish calendars that I've saved - what I've saved are not specific to Hanukkah, but the basic idea is the same. The same process will work for banners, wall hangings, curtains, etc.

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Comments (48)

rmkitchen
16 years ago
We are a multi-cultural / multi-ethnic family: I'm half-Jewish and my husband is Japanese. Ha ha!

Our three and-a-half year-old attends Jewish nursery school so he is really into Chanukkah, and if I sing "Dreidl Dreidl Dreidl" one more time my head may explode! I'm sure you know the drill.

So with that being said, for some inexplicable reason he has somehow discovered Santa Claus and is crazy for him: he insisted we put up xmas lights so "Santa would find our house." We even called my (Jewish) father on the phone and had him pretend to be Santa so my son could tell him what a good boy he'd been.

Okay, none of this is helping. We're going away for the winter holidays plus our house is in chaos (a big whole-house remodel), so I'm not doing much in terms of decorating. However, I did buy some blue and silver glass ornaments and am (supposedly) stringing them together to make a garland (fingers crossed this weekend!) for inside the house.

We also have all kinds of dreidls scattered hither and yon (courtesy of my three and-a-half year-old and seventeen month-old).

But I think if I were going full-bore I'd get lots of silver and blue, both the tacky, gaudy, sparkly stuff (who doesn't like some sparkle?) but also some blue-tinged evergreens (like blue spruce) or maybe something flocked and tuck wee Judaica into it.

Some of the houses 'round here have blue & white lights outside, and the ones which are a real hit with the kiddos have lit-up Stars of David. Who doesn't love that?

No pictures. What are you thinking of doing?
summiebee
16 years ago
They had a ton of stuff at Homegoods last week when I was there! Our neighbors do a Hanukkah tree/ bush with the silver and blue. It's very pretty! They also do garland and hang small bulbs from it in the colors too on their mantle. Most of their decorations are Christmas/Winter looking items with the Hanukkah colors added. They even had a bowl of bulbs on the table with blue and silver bulbs. It was festive! Looked great! Have fun! I want to see pictures!!!
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Ann H., traditional Chanuka foods vary with the community. Jews of Eastern European descent eat latkes (but never agree on how to make them). Israelis eat fried filled doughnuts. As you see in the string, and can find on many web sites, everywhere in the world, Jews come up with something different for Chanuka. The one constant is that it should be something cooked in oil; that's the point. The idea is to commemorate the story about the oil for the menorah. lpinkmountain, if you use a mix for matzo balls, you will go to hell. JUST KIDDING! But really, I have never understood what the point is of that mix. I mean, matzo balls contain matzo meal, salt, egg, water or broth, and fat (chicken fat best if you are not a vegetarian and your cardiologist isn't looking). So what's in that mix? I think it's just matzo meal, salt, and some bouillon powder (which I don't like anyway); you still have to add the rest -- doesn't really save any time and just costs a lot more and uses more packaging. Lakeguy, here is how I (a genuine Jewish mother) make chicken soup and matzo balls. It's a very simple recipe, without even any dill or garlic, but it really doesn't need it, because the strongly developed chicken flavor holds its own, so try it this way first. Really, you can make any kind of chicken soup your family likes, but make sure to follow the two essentials about the type of chicken and the length of cooking. Try to find a kosher chicken -- the bigger, fatter, and older, the better. The taste is just much, much better. It's not that the kosher slaughtering makes a difference. But they grow them bigger, and they don't feed them chemicals (not for kosher purposes, just to broaden their market to foodies), and the soaking and salting of kashering is like brining it. If you can't find a kosher chicken in your town, then go for an organic one, I guess. Lindac taught me the money-saving tip of using a package of wings instead of a whole chicken (kosher chickens are not cheap). Gellchom's Jewish Chicken Soup (eat! eat!) 1 cut up kosher chicken, or a large package of wings, necks, etc. 2 stalks celery, NO LEAVES, scraped and cut into sticks 2 large carrots, scraped and cut into sticks one whole onion, peeled Salt and pepper Rinse the chicken and put it in your soup pot. Cover with water to about 3/4 inch from top. Bring to a good hard boil, reduce the heat, and skim. Then add the vegetables, 1-2 T salt, and some pepper. Cover and simmer a LONG time -- absolute minimum 1 1/2 hours, but I like to let it go to much longer, even to 6. If it cooks too far down, then just add some water; the taste will still be plenty rich, I promise. Remove chicken and use for something that can have seriously overcooked chicken! Discard onion (and celery, if you want, but I like it in the soup). Remove carrots and set aside. Strain soup and return carrots, celery, and maybe some of the chicken. Chill and remove some but not all of the fat before reheating. Serve with matzo balls, kreplach, noodles, or rice. Matzo balls (this is just the old recipe off the back of the Manischewitz matzo meal box, before they changed it from schmaltz to oil) 2 T schmaltz (rendered chicken fat; buy frozen in kosher market or make your own) or oil (if you must!) 2 lg eggs, slightly beaten ½ c matzo meal 1 t salt, optional 2 T water or broth (use broth if no schmaltz) Mix schmaltz and eggs. Mix matzo meal with salt and blend. Add water and mix. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes. Boil slightly salted water. Reduce heat to low, form balls (with wet hands, and note that they will enlarge as they cook), and add to soup. Cover and cook 30-40 minutes.
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snookums
16 years ago
True traditionalists would tell you not to decorate for Chanukah - too westernized, too commercial, too Americanized.

That said, I totally would if I could find stuff. I'm going to check out HomeGoods. I do put out the menorah, Chanukah linens, and a blue tablecloth.
lovetoshop
Original Author
16 years ago
My homegoods had a VERY small selection.
sable_ca
16 years ago
Lovetoshop - There's a lot for Hanukkah out there. Try:

www.jewishsource.com/

You can ask to be on their catalog list as well, for next year. They have a huge amount of things for the holiday. Their selection of candles alone is mind-boggling. I find the food items very pricey, but broke down this year and ordered some edibles for my (adult) children.

When our children were little we had some H. decorations in the house - very simple, mostly of paper. Now there is so much more available. Blue and white snowflake ornaments are popular because they are six-sided and I'm sure that you can find cookie-cutters in the shape of dreidels and stars of David.

Another source is www.thecompanystore.com/, which doesn't have much, but does have the most adorable felt hanging, that has a hanukkiah (a nine-candle menorah) to which you add one felt candle and its flame each night. This would be perfect for a toddler to do as part of the candle-lighting ceremony. I almost ordered it myself!

Now that it's just DH and I, our Hanukkah is very simple. We just light the candles with the proper blessings and have jelly doughnuts on the first and last nights. I don't cook latkes, since I don't fry anything. This year I finally ordered (from jewishsource) an electric menorah as well, to put in our front window. The menorah/hanukkiah should be in a window visible to the whole community and even though I always thought electric ones were tacky, I decided that the tradition was more important than the good taste factor. So we can light these and leave them on, and then light the real candles in the den, where we always are in the evening. That might be nice for your daughter also, as she could admire them and still be safe near them.

Happy Hanukkah! Dec. 5 is fast approaching!
jerseygirl_1
16 years ago
Check out Home Goods and Bed, Bath and Beyond. Anything in white, silver and blue will work. I was in Crate and Barrel yesterday. They have some wonderful Hannukah dishes with the Star of David along with blue dishes. The tables were set elegantly.
budge1
16 years ago
We are also a mixed family and definately do more decorating for Xmas than Hannukah. My older daughter and I have made most of our Hannukah decorations. Some of the things we've done are:

- bought a couple of yards of blue velvet and made star of David beanbags that we lay around the house every year
-take a long length of blue ribbon and attach blue and silver stars along its length and string across the front of the mantle
-cut Star of David's out of about 10 layers of blue or silver tissue paper. Sew a line down the centre leaving lots of thread at either end (at least a foot). String silver and blue beads on the bottom thread, open out the tissue paper stars and hang from the top thread - looks esp. pretty in windows. This also makes great Xmas decorations if you use ball shapes and Xmas colours.

Hope this helps.
gwendolynne
16 years ago
*waving* I do! I do!

Snookums is right about the traditionalists - people more religious than I do nothing more than have chanukiahs and the traditional foods, maybe some chocolate money, it's all about the holiday. But that said....I can't pass up a decorating opportunity!

Because of the colours of our house, blue and gold works a lot better in our home than blue and silver and there is quite a bit of slate blue in Christmas decorations this year, some of which (garlands and such) are definitely usable for other purposes.

The house is not really decorated yet, but I will post some pics this weekend. Tonight we are starting to make latkes to freeze for our big open house party on the 9th.

Decorating plans for this year include:

- Glass dome-covered stands filled with gold and silver chocolate money (old stuff, so not edible any more)
- We hang a lot of lights - it's the festival of light, so I figure we can get away with it!
- I would like to have a hurricane vase filled with a mass of dreidels, but haven't found enough dreidels to do it yet...
- We set up a table with the menorah that we will use to light - chanukah linens, scattered dreidels, magen david confetti, etc.
- Other menorahs go elsewhere in the house, electric one goes in the front window
- I have a few blue and gold garlands that I like to wrap around the banisters and the mantle
- We hang crystals in some doorways and windows too - they are more "winter" than "Chanukah", but they look so pretty when they catch the light
- I won't do this this year, but you could also wrap presents in Chanukah-themed wrapping paper and stack them somewhere visible - we used to have them on the coffee table in the living room
- I have a few paper decorations - Happy Chanukah signs of various sorts, I'll probably put those up around the house too

Photobucket has been down for a few days, so I can't post pics from last year, but I'll keep trying.
User
16 years ago
Well I was going to not reply, but thought I would just add my 2 cents. I do not decorate for chanukah and of course, to each his own. However, I strongly agree with ok moreh(nice name by the way) that Chanukah is a very minor holiday. It is not in the bible, and it is not Christmas. I think it is a nice idea to embrace the holiday for sure, but I am uncomfortable with equating it to Christmas.
fivefootzero
16 years ago
The Company Store has a lot of Hanukkah decorations.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Company Store
fivefootzero
16 years ago
I just checked that link and there's only 4-5 items, but they are cute. Dreidl lights!!!
walkin_yesindeed
16 years ago
Can I hijack the thread to ask for good latke recipes? In the Bah humbug thread, I said I wasn't going to make them this year -- I *hate* fried food -- but then DS1 got very excited that it was almost Chanukah, and explained to DS2 how delicious they were, and now they're both eager. Can't disappoint them!

I'm on the no-decorating side of this continuum, but admit that I'm going to the Evil Empire (aka Wal-Mart) later tonight to check out their Chanukah stash. They're the only ones in town who have anything...
mareda
16 years ago
I'm not Jewish, but my Jewish friends have found a lot at our local party store.
flyingflower
16 years ago
Don't forget to check Hallmark stores, I noticed a lot at my local store but of course that can vary from store to store. Gift shops in general are good sources.

rmkitchen...at Target I saw a blue reindeer lawn decoration! I'm used to seeing all white lights on reindeer and sometimes gold but this one was really unusual with blue lights. Now that I've read your post it makes me chuckle thinking of this blue reindeer on your lawn...a little of both!
DLM2000-GW
16 years ago
We host our family party every year and my DH and I have this down to a science. I use close to 10# of potatoes for our family! We make them in advance and freeze them then reheat in a hot oven - SO much easier! We also cook them outside on a campstove to avoid the whole house smelling like oil - ya know how your pillow smells like oil after making them - YUK!

2 C raw grated potatoes
2 eggs
1/4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 T flour or more if needed
grated onion if desired or sub onion salt for regular

peel potatoes, soak in cold water for an hour then grate and drain well. Beat eggs, stir into potatoes mix in dry ingredients (I use a wooden spoon and break up the potato a bit at this point). Heat oil (my preference is Safflower) in large fry pan till hot, drop potato mix in large spoonfulls and fry till golden, flip and fry other side. Serve with sour cream and applesauce on the side.
lionstail
16 years ago
Places like party city or party supermarket should have. But I think the most fun is making them yourself. Things like cut out dradles, cutting out letters, menorahs, eating and makeing soofganiot or potato latkas. Blue and white ribbon. These are the types of things I grew up with. Happy Chanukah!!
gwendolynne
16 years ago
okmoreh....I've seen your name so many times but I was never pronouncing it right in my head to see what it spelled! Geez, you'd think 15 years in Jewish school and speaking pretty fluent Hebrew and (much less fluent) Yiddish I'd be able to spot things like that more easily! Just goes to show how important context is... :)

As far as not decorating for Chanukah because it's a) not a major holiday (and not much of a religious holiday, since it's more of a celebration of a historical event) and b) it's not Christmas....it isn't traditional to decorate for any of the major holidays, is it? You use seasonal items in the celebration of most of them (thinking of Rosh Hashanah and Passover) but the only one I can think of where you are actually supposed to decorate is Sukkot... As far as I am concerned, I like to have seasonal items around my house in every season - flowers in spring, shells in summer, leaves and branches and harvest items in fall, and snowy or cosy things in winter. Since it just so happens that Chanukah falls during the winter, the two get combined.

I don't think anyone was equating Chanukah and Christmas (and even Kwanzaa) but it really is difficult not to because of the proximity of the holidays on the calendar. There are holidays in all major religions that fall around the time of the winter solstice. I can't think of how many time I have heard "oh, so Chanukah is like your Christmas, right?". I usually respond "not really..." but it depends on how much time I have to explain :). People see two holidays with gifts (not traditional, I know, but most definitely the current practice) and similar timing and it is logically easy to equate them, especially if you know little about one or the other.

As far as decorating for Christmas vs. Chanukah, I don't bring a tree into the house or pine garlands or wreaths or anything of the like (although as a child I had a very hard time understanding what was so Christian about a branch wrapped in a circle...) However, since to me there is nothing particularly "Christian" about lights, shiny/sparkly things or symbols of winter like snowflakes (and even less with dreidels, Chanukah gelt and menorot) I don't have a problem hanging them around the house. Is it commercialism rearing its ugly head? Probably. Is it un-Jewish of me? I would argue not, although I don't know if my ultra-orthodox cousins would agree. Some people might not be comfortable with my decision to decorate my house for Chanukah, but if they came back every couple of months or so, they would realize that I also decorate it for everything else, all year long! I would guess I probably have this in common with many if not most people on this board, Jewish or not :).
dgmarie
16 years ago
Ok ladies, shop on!

http://www.bargainjudaica.com/prodtype.asp?strParents=154,280&CAT_ID=586&numRecordPosition=1&gclid=CKDtt_n3gpACFQlxOAodUGArtQ

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/hanukkah/1

https://www.zionjudaica.com/Hanukkah_Festival_Decorations-421.asp?gclid=CIOKlp74gpACFQ6CPAodXkoOsw

Who'll be the first to have this 8' monster on the lawn?
dgmarie
16 years ago
By the way, a funny story...when we moved into this house two years ago, someone somewhere hit the wrong button in a computer and we are now on lots of mailing lists for Jewish pre schools, temples etc. We even recently started getting the Jewish World Digest (I'm pretty sure that's the one--monthly). This Catholic raised, Presbyterian married, is learning lots of things I never knew!
skypathway
16 years ago
No, we never decorate for Hanukkah. When the kids were little, annually we had a hanukkah party which they looked forward to each year - this was my way of enjoying the holiday. When the kids brought up the question why we didn't decorate, I used that to explain about the meaning of the holiday and commercialization and that it wasn't a Jewish version of Christmas.

I've noticed in the last few years both TJ Maxx and Marshall's (same company as Home Store I think) have had Hanukkah stuff.

I love to see my neighbor's Xmas decoration, but I'm thankful I don't have to do the heavy lifting of putting it up and taking it down to store. Some people around here to extremely elaborate and gorgeous displays: I admire and thank them for the entertainment/beautification of the neighborhood.

Sky
lovetoshop
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for all the great replys. Of course we all know that from a religious standpoint Hanukkah is not nearly as important to Jews and Christmas is to Christians, but I remember as a child feeling really left out during December. Everything everywhere you go is all about Christmas. I want my children to feel like Hanukkah is so fun and special that they hopefully won't be so envious of the kids that have Christmas.

I just ordered cute vinyl Hanukkah placemats to eat on during the week of Hanukkah (e-bay) and am checking out all the websites you all suggested. I have a hard time with lights and garland even if blue and white b/c I equate that with Christmas. I don't just want blue and white Christmas decorations but true Hanukkah decorations. I would like to get an electric menorah and the felt one too. Those sound great! I think that deep down I have Christmas envey and wish I could bust out all the great Christmas decorations like everyone else does this time of year, but of course I can't so I am trying to find a happy medium and make Hanukkah special for my little ones.
amysrq
16 years ago
Well, we do a bit here, but it's not nearly what I put out for Halloween, another holiday the Orthodox would frown on celebrating. But hey, I'm not Orthodox!

I agree that it is nice to be in a "not-Christmas" kind of place in December. I am glad to be enjoying it all from the sidelines. My more traditional DH would pitch a fit if I went too far with the decorations.

One year, when we were living on a boat, I did cover the back of the cockpit with blue and white lights in time for the St. Augustine boat parade. He just gritted his teeth...smiling all the while, of course.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gwendolynne, this one's for you...
ljsandler
16 years ago
We usually have a Hanukkah party at our house but since my kitchen renovation has taken longer than planned and still not done, it's not going to happen this year.

I wait for the party stores, TJMAXX, Home Goods, Ross, etc. to mark down the judaica and buy in bulk. They make great gifts.

It's great to have so many MOT's on this forum!!!
pammyfay
16 years ago
I don't decorate. The menorah is all that's necessary. But I sure am glad that Bed Bath & Beyond now sells the skinny menorah candles that I need! (unfortunately they're on the same display as some weird "talking potato" thing with Hanukkah phrases.)

A side note: It always amazes me that everytime Hanukkah rolls around, grocery stories make a big display of EVERYTHING Jewish--even things that are not really used on Hanukkah. I just saw matzah on one store's display. I just shook my head.

(I think eventually, though, when they're a bit older, you've gotta tell your kids that Hanukkah is what it is and stop trying to make things "even" with Christmas and the presents and all. Think of it as the same time Christian kids learn about the "real" Santa.)
sable_ca
16 years ago
Lovetoshop - I hope that you will find some of the sites and suggestions useful. After I came back to this thread and read through some additional posts, I caved, went over to TheCompanyStore, and ordered the felt menorah. It's all this forum's fault!
shappy
16 years ago
Another MOT. Never decorated for Hanukkah other than with the stuff my kids made--all proudly displayed. Lots of parties when the kids were little

Here's the secret to making good latkes--after you grate the fresh potatoes soak and rinse them well after shredding to remove the potato starch--that's the stuff that makes them turn grey/pink and look gross--soak and rinse your potatoes well before mixing in the onion, baking power (like a tsp.) flour salt and pepper I can't imagine making them ahead of time--part of the fun is destroying your kitchen and setting off the smoke alarm. So delicious!
OKMoreh
16 years ago
A side note: It always amazes me that everytime Hanukkah rolls around, grocery stories make a big display of EVERYTHING Jewish--even things that are not really used on Hanukkah. I just saw matzah on one store's display. I just shook my head.

They also set out displays of yahrzeit candles for every holiday.

But this is not as bad as the now-defunct grocery chain in New England that offered specials on hamantaschen for Passover. Perhaps they were left over from Purim (a month before).

But hey, yesterday Gannett News Service published an article on Hanukkah food, accompanied by an alleged Sefardi recipe for rabbit.
gwendolynne
16 years ago
Oy. I was in a store last night that had a wine cork chanukiah - a light metal chanukiah that tapered to a cork at the bottom so that you could stick it into an empty wine bottle! What will they think of next...

Amysrq - thanks for the link! I've bookmarked it for next year. For this year I think I'll ask my mom if she can find some more dreidels for me in her city, which has a MUCH bigger Jewish community than ours.

I have to say that I went home last night and pulled out my box of Chanukah decorations and....just wasn't feeling them. I don't know if it was just the (slightly garish) bright colours or thoughts provoked by this thread, but I just didn't feel like hanging anything up. That's okay, we'll spend much of this weekend making latkes (yum!) and I'll reevaluate.

I wanted to post pictures from last year's Chanukah party but Photobucket is still not working for me. Is anyone else having this problem?
amysrq
16 years ago
Here's my prepare-ahead-for-last-minute-cooking latkes trick, courtesy of Mama Leah. I cook mine right then and there too, Shappy.

Mix up all the ingredients except for the egg. Pack all the shreds down into a bowl and pour the beaten egg over the top to make a "seal" and keep the air out. When you're ready to cook, just mix the egg in and get to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: My most tattered and food-schmeared Jewish cookbook
donnar57
16 years ago
I've enjoyed reading this thread, as I've learned a lot about Judaism. I would never have noticed the grocery store displays with things not used at Hanukkah, so that was new to me. Thank you for teaching me.

Another part of the Hanukkah vs. Christmas issue:
As an elementary school music teacher in California, we are practically pushed into including EVERYTHING in a December concert or nothing at all. One year I was told, "you can't have 'Joy to the World' unless you include a Hanukkah song." My jaw hit the floor. "But, sir," I said to my principal, "this program is about the celebration of the holidays in American Colonial times! There wasn't a big Jewish population in the colonies!" I had to look it up and prove to him that about .2% of colonists were Jewish, and the songs of Hanukkah today were not common to the colonial times. I still lost the battle. Rather than putting a song in there that didn't belong in the times (all of the songs in our program were the old colonial songs of Christmas), I gave up "Joy to the World" (written by Handel and brought over by the colonists).

So the battle for the holidays goes into our elementary classrooms as well.

DonnaR/CA
snookums
16 years ago
amryrsq - am I seeing that price right - $22 for a 1.5 " wood driedel? Who are they kidding? Those are usually less than a buck.
robynr
16 years ago
Yes! I decorate for Chanukah. I have collected a lot over the years. Crate and Barrel has little star ornaments this year and dreidel ornaments. You could hang them with string or in my case I'm putting them on my table.

They have some really pretty china, but it was sold out at my local store when I went yesterday. It is in the latest publication.

Years ago, I found blue tinsel garland with Star of Davids so I use that for the fireplace and railing. I use a thick blue tinsel as well.

It has already been posted, but Bed, Bath and Beyond always has a ton of items in our area (CA). I found an incredible glass plate with driedles on it there. Some Hallmark stores carry a few decorative items *but the selection is really varied. I purchased blue ornaments that looked like Driedles a few years back and painted Hebrew letters on them from Stats (a local Christmas store).

I have also found ornaments at Crate and Barrel that kind of look like stars and I put those out as well (I saw them again this year). On line at Target you can find the big blow ups for outside the house as well as some decorative menorahs. My kids are begging for the blow-ups, but I've declined so far.

A dozen years ago I found miniature Chanukah decorations at a dollhouse store in San Francisco and purchased them. I put them on my table as a centerpiece with some doll furniture.

I also purchased a lot of Jewish star candles and miniature (Limoge knock-offs)Chanukah boxes from a local store that has since gone out of business. You could probably find items like that by googling.

My parents had the paper items when I was a kind and I stay away from those.

We do put some white and blue lights on the outside of the house.

I have seen a variety light up menorahs in the windows and Happy Hanukah flags on the outside of people's home. Even the Disney Store has a couple of items (Chanukah Mickey, Chanukah pins) etc.

Some synagogues have the gift shops or a Judaic store will carry Chanukah items as well as on-line stores (Source for Everything Jewish) etc.

Good luck.
DLM2000-GW
16 years ago
Sunday's Chicago Tribune had a few suggestions for Hanukkah.

Ever heard of Jewish Living Magazine? Me either.

http://www.jewishlivingmag.com/

Not sure if this one was mentioned but they have an online shop

http://www.jewishmuseum.org/

The Hanukkah Box of Questions if you're looking for party games

http://www.theboxgirls.com/site/shoponline?product=hanbox

How about embossed soaps to decorate your powder room or as hostess gifts?

http://soapistication.com/
judithn
16 years ago
We bring out the menorahs the kids have made throughout the years in Hebrew school. I have a menorah made of sugar cubes. A menorah made of bolts from the hardware store. A menorah made of little pieces of tile. You get the picture. We also started collecting dreidels a long time ago. The glass dreidels, the wood dreidels, etc. come out and are spread around the table top. We use blue and silver, as has been mentioned.

But we don't decorate per se, for Hannukah. These are all items made by our children and it seems like the right time to pull them all out and admire them together and shake our heads in amazement: how have they grown! They're not stringing blue and white macaronis together anymore!

I do love seasonal decorating though. I have woods around my house and I make a base of greens mixed with silver and blue ribbon. I bought silver dusted snowflakes from Michaels and made a garland hung on silver ribbon.

And this year, the one message of xmas, and one I think most people will agree with is Peace. I felt strongly drawn to some small feathered white doves I saw in the craft store and have put them on the rosemary plant in the kitchen that I take sprigs from for roasted chicken. Peace is definitely in, no matter if it's a religious holiday or not.
lisalm
16 years ago
Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating. I do just a little decorating. I'd like to add to it next year. We put out our menorah (which I love--was a wedding present), menorahs the kids have made, hand-made kids' decorations for the windows, and a few "tchokes". Here are a few pictures. The best "decorations" are the smiles on their little faces!
theroselvr
16 years ago
We put out our menorah (which I love--was a wedding present)

Wow! Very nice gift!
mareda
16 years ago
DonnaR, our town consists of a population that's about 50% Jewish, 50% Christian, and one loud-mouthed, litigating atheist known by everyone in Illinois. So everyone tries to be politically correct to the point where when my oldest was 4, we were visiting my father on Christmas Eve and before he opened the door, my son asked, "Do I say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?"

Also, the public grade school picked The Sound of Music for their annual school play one year and changed Sister Maria the nun to Miss Maria, the school teacher. I howled at that. They didn't change Fiddler on the Roof, why change The Sound of Music? I suggested they combine the two and put on a play called, "The Sound of the Fiddler on the Roof - Oy Ve!" ;-)

Happy Hannukah to you all!
ljsandler
16 years ago
Check out this Hanukkah video. It is really cute!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1108668207990155708

Happy Hanukkah all!
OKMoreh
16 years ago
Although I don't really decorate for Hanukkah, I have usually put a hanukkiah in the window, and have an electric one for the purpose.

But it needs to stand on a table, and the only windows in this house are at shoulder height. I found a decorative menorah that's designed to stick to a window with a suction cup. Here it is in the package:

This is how it looks at night:
sable_ca
16 years ago
OKMoreh - I do like your hanukkiah in the window, and what an original solution for the problem! This is the first year that we've had one (electric) in our front window. and we are so happy with it, although it took awhile to find one with steady, rather than flickering, lignts. I've decided to leave it lit in the evenings for awhile instead of taking it down after tomorrow.

Happy Hanukkah to you - and all your students!
sable_ca
16 years ago
OKMoreh - I do like your hanukkiah in the window, and what an original solution for the problem! This is the first year that we've had one (electric) in our front window. and we are so happy with it, although it took awhile to find one with steady, rather than flickering, lignts. I've decided to leave it lit in the evenings for awhile instead of taking it down after tomorrow.

Happy Hanukkah to you - and all your students!
marciagaye
16 years ago
We do. My husband made a Menorah out of plywood...it stands about 3 feet tall and spray painted it silver. Then he drilled holes throughout it and we inserted tiny white lights. On top of the menorah we have the larger blue bulbs. With each night of Hanukkah we light another blue bulb (we screw it in tighter). This in is our front yard. The neighbors have always enjoyed this. We also have a Star of David with lights on it in the window. We have a banner made out of wood painted blue with silver lettering...SHALOM***PEACE...with a dove on it. This hangs on a large grapevine wreath we have outdoors. Inside I have a fake ficus tree with white lights and at Hanukkah I add Hanukkah ornaments that I have purchased over the past few years. There are a few more small decorations in our house. One year...about 10 years ago the Louisville Courier Journal came out and took a picture of our home and it was featured in the paper with other house decorated for X-mas.
gwendolynne
16 years ago
I know Chanukah is over, but just thought I would post some pictures from our Chanukah party.

Dining table centrepiece:

Living room mantle:

Menorah vignettes:
lynnski
16 years ago
We were out to dinner with friends one evening mid-Hanukkah. As I took the two girls (aged 6 & 7) back from the bathroom, we stopped at the bar to get some colorful cocktail toothpicks. The waitress, enchanted with the kids, wished them a Merry Christmas, and I quickly answered Happy Hanukkah, both to counter her assumption and save the kids from feeling like they had to explain. The younger girl (our friends' daughter) proudly and helpfully exclaimed: "We're Hanukkahs!!!

No it's certainly not "our xmas," but with the little ones I think the point is celebration. I thought it was so great that the girls could identify themselves as not-Christian in such a fun and positive way. Yes, we're Jewish, but at this time of year, with all the assumptions that everyone in the world is Christian, I don't care that it's a minor holiday. I care that my girl knows "she's a Hanukkah"!
Michael
16 years ago
Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate.

A nice story that brought tears to my eyes and one that I will share with my granddaughter when she is older (she's 15 months) to instill in her heart that giving is more important than any celebration known to man.

Michael

Here is a link that might be useful: Giving from the heart
hedygs
16 years ago
Sorry for the late wish but heartfelt nevertheless. Happy Hanukkah!!!!!!!!!

We no longer decorate for the holiday although I always buy some of the gorgeous handdipped candles from BB&B.
jerseygirl_1
16 years ago
Lynnski and brushworks what great stories.

Thank you for sharing. I hope you enjoyed the Hannukah celebrations.