Is it just us or are Hanukkah parties sometimes a bit… bland?
For a celebration based on the three best things in life — food, music and wine, many Hanukkah parties are failing to live up to their potential when, really, they should be the celebration of the year.
So, what’s going on?
One of the main issues could be that people continue to use the same old party ideas over and over again, or they re-package Christmas ideas and slap a menorah on it, thinking we won’t notice.
This year, we think your Hanukkah party can be something truly spectacular — with the right inspiration and a bit of know-how.
That’s where Eventbrite comes in. As the world’s largest event marketplace, 30% of paid tickets are driven by Eventbrite, so we know a thing or two about what it takes to throw one hell of a party.
This article will inspire you to make Hanukkah exciting again and provide you with 12 kick-ass party ideas guaranteed to wow your attendees.
Hanukkah party ideas
Hanukkah traditions to include in your events
To make sure your Hanukkah event is a truly authentic experience for party-goers, it’s a good idea to keep it grounded in traditional Hanukkah celebrations such as:
1. Lighting a menorah: The centerpiece of Hanukkah celebrations, lighting the menorah symbolizes the miracle of the oil, in which the liberators of the Temple of Jerusalem found a jug of pure oil enough to light the lamp for one day, but that lasted for eight days.
2. Giving gelt as a present: The word “gelt” refers to a small amount of money, usually in the form of chocolate coins, given to children during Hanukkah.
3. Indulging in fried food: Hanukkah is synonymous with delicious fried treats like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts).
4. Playing dreidel games: A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top featuring Hebrew letters that stand for “a great miracle happened there.”
5. Singing Hanukkah songs: Traditional Hanukkah songs like I Have a Little Dreidel, Oh Chanukah and Ma’oz Tzur are often sung during Hanukkah candle-lighting celebrations.
By incorporating these customs, you not only bring authenticity to your event, but also create an opportunity for your guests to experience the rich cultural heritage that Hanukkah embodies.
12 incredible Hanukkah party ideas for event organizers
When it comes to throwing a brilliant party on Hanukkah, the key is to think outside the box while also incorporating traditional holiday elements. Consider how you can use your brand identity to bring your community together and throw a party that will really stand out from the crowd.
Best ‘wild night’ Hanukkah party ideas
Hanukkah is a time to celebrate and let loose at the end of the year, and for people to remind themselves of the importance of family, community, and faith. While “eight crazy nights” may not be feasible, one definitely is!
Here are a few Hanukkah party ideas that will give your attendees a night to remember.
1. Hanukkah-themed cocktail night
Effort: 🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Family-friendliness: 👪
A Hanukkah-themed cocktail night can be a fun and festive way to celebrate the holiday season, especially if you’re a bar or nightclub venue looking to offer something unique to your customers.
Choose a menu of creative Hanukkah-inspired cocktails and drinks by:
- Using traditional ingredients such as honey, pomegranate, and figs to create something tasty and new
- Putting a Hanukkah twist on a classic, like garnishing an espresso martini with chocolate gelt
💡Pro tip: Create a Hanukkah-themed pop-up bar like Maccabee Bar in New York City. They use Hanukkah-inspired decor, such as blue and silver streamers, and serve creative drinks like the “Hebrew hammer.”
2. Ugly sweater party
Effort: 🏋️
Cost: 💰
Family-friendliness: 👪👪
An ugly sweater competition is a light-hearted party idea encouraging attendees to wear their most outrageous Hanukkah sweaters. Most events merely use this as a party theme but don’t incorporate it into the night’s activities. Make your event stand out by taking the competition a little more seriously.
You can do this by:
- Offering prizes in categories: ugliest, brightest, and most creative
- Set up a mini runway show where participants can show off their ugly sweaters and have fellow attendees rate them
💡Pro tip: Take inspiration from event creators like Mer Events, who have successfully hosted ugly sweater Christmas parties, but give it a Hanukkah-themed spin.
3. ‘Ma’oz Tzur’ Band or DJ Night
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Family-friendliness: 👪👪
Make music the centerpiece of your Hanukkah party and let attendees cut loose on the dance floor. This is a perfect way to showcase your venue and build a community of loyal patrons.
Some creative ideas for a Ma’oz Tzur DJ night include:
- Remixing traditional Hanukkah tunes with popular hit songs
- Using projections or screens to display Hanukkah visuals to create an immersive experience
💡Pro tip: Book a band like a cappella group the Maccabeats to perform traditional Hanukkah songs with a creative flare. The group has more than 20 million YouTube views!
Best ‘chill and relax’ Hanukkah party ideas
Your Hanukkah party doesn’t have to be a wild and crazy affair. A low-key celebration like a themed craft night or game of trivia can be just as fun and a bit more inclusive. It’s your event — if your community’s vibe is more chill, your Hanukkah celebration can be too.
4. Candle-making workshop
Effort: 🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Family-friendliness: 👪👪
Candles and Hanukkah go together like latkes and applesauce. That warm glow from the menorah isn’t just tradition — it’s a symbol of the holiday’s spirit. So, why not crank up the festivities with a candle-making workshop?
Here’s how to turn your workshop into an official Hanukkah party:
- Fuel creativity with snacks like gelt-studded cookies or jelly-filled mini donuts
- Set up crafty stations where attendees can dress up their candles with Hanukkah-themed decorations
💡Pro tip: Learn from artisan candle-making event creators like the House of Art and Craft, who jazz up their workshops with a complimentary glass of wine and playful surprises.
5. Jewish comedy showcase
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Family-friendliness: 👪
Hanukkah is a celebration — you want your attendees to rejoice, and nothing gets people beaming quite like a hearty laugh.
This year, create a Hanukkah-themed stand-up comedy show that will have your guests chuckling all night long, like the Jewish Comedy Festival or Kugels and Komedians.
Make your Jewish comedy showcase a night to remember by:
- Creating a unique and memorable atmosphere by rolling out a blue and white carpet for guests and putting the stage in the middle of the audience seating
- Booking well-known Jewish comedians who have a strong social media following to attract a large audience and help with your promotional campaign
💡Pro tip: Use Eventbrite ads to help generate buzz and make sure people looking for comedy shows in your area find your event!
Advertise your Hanukkah party on the world’s largest events marketplace!
6. Hanukkah-themed trivia night
Effort: 🏋️
Cost: 💰
Family-friendliness: 👪👪
Create a fun and informative quiz based on Hanukkah, encouraging attendees to brush up on their knowledge and including a mix of challenging and easy questions. To make it more exciting, give prizes to the winners!
Here are a couple of Hanukkah-themed questions to get you started:
- What is the name of the prayer recited during the lighting of the menorah?
- In which year did the Maccabees defeat the Syrian-Greek army and reclaim the Temple in Jerusalem?
💡Pro tip: Host your trivia night at a non-traditional venue, such as Story on the Square, an independent bookshop by day and a unique event venue by night. By choosing a venue that isn’t a bar, you can attract a wide range of attendees (even those below 21) and create a cozy and inviting atmosphere.
Best ‘it’s all about the food’ Hanukkah party ideas
Hanukkah is a time of year when delicious and festive foods take center stage, such as latkes, sufganiyot, and brisket. Event creators can take advantage of this by incorporating Hanukkah-inspired dishes and drinks into their events to create a unique and memorable experience.
7. Latke-and-sip night
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Family-friendliness: 👪👪
Hosting a latke-and-sip night is a great way to combine a Hanukkah tradition with modern trends in food and beverage. A latke is a potato pancake typically prepared during Hanukkah and is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many ways.
Some tips for creating an outstanding latke-and-sip night:
- Set up a latke station with traditional toppings like applesauce and sour cream or modern spins like creme fraiche and smoked salmon or caviar
- Invite local brewers or winemakers to supply the beverages to create a community vibe (and potentially a lasting events partnership!)
💡Pro tip: You can put a vegan spin on traditional latkes by using aquafaba (chickpea water) instead of eggs. For example, private chef Philip Gelb is hosting a vegan Hanukkah night and making locally sourced plant-based ingredients the hero of the meal.
8. Kosher wine-tasting party
Effort: 🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Family-friendliness: 👪
Manischewitz is a sweet kosher wine that is traditionally served during Hanukkah. A Hanukkah wine-tasting event encourages attendees to widen their palates by trying kosher, organic, and natural wines. It’s also easy for guests to mix and mingle.
How to make your wine-tasting party Hanukkah themed:
- Include a “chocolate and wine tasting” station, but instead of using traditional chocolate, invite a local chocolatier to create custom treats
- Use wine glasses and napkins that are decorated with menorahs and dreidels
💡Pro tip: Use an event discovery site like Eventbrite to find local wineries to host your Hanukkah party. For example, Rooftop Reds is a rooftop winery in New York. It’s centrally located and offers stunning views of the city skyline and an authentic experience for attendees.
9. Traditional bake off
Effort: 🏋️🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Family-friendliness: 👪👪👪
Bake-offs are fantastic family-friendly events that not only celebrate the joy of baking but also community spirit.
Ask local bakeries to create traditional Hanukkah treats like and bring them on event day. Then, have attendees vote for their favorites.
Some of the treats attendees can enjoy include:
- Jelly-filled or olive-oil doughnuts
- Rugelach or hamantaschen
- Dreidel cake or honey cake
💡Pro tip: Make the event fun for the whole family by creating an exciting wonderland of food-based activities and entertainment, much like a fair or festival. For example, the Cornerstone Community Center hosts an apple-pie bake-off that’s a huge success with live music, pumpkin decorating, raffles, and food vendors.
Best family-friendly Hanukkah party ideas
Hanukkah is all about celebrating with family and those closest to you, so creating an inclusive and enjoyable party for everyone is a great idea. If you’re going this route, make sure to incorporate plenty of hands-on activities for the kids that tie into Hanukkah traditions, like dreidel games and arts and crafts.
10. Movie night
Effort: 🏋️🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Family-friendliness: 👪👪👪
Make a Hanukkah movie the center of your event. To make it a party, once the movie is over, have live performers, food trucks, and a pop-up bar to serve Hanukkah-themed cocktails to the adults.
Some Hanukkah movies to watch at your movie night party are:
- The Prince of Egypt
- Eight Crazy Nights
- Little Fockers
- Fiddler on the Roof
💡Pro tip: To make your movie night even more special, consider hosting it outside or in an unusual venue. For example, Brooklyn Magazine Events partnered with Paramount to host a movie night under the stars where attendees bought picnic blankets and snacks.
11. Gelt treasure hunt
Effort: 🏋️
Cost: 💰
Family-friendliness: 👪👪👪
Create a clue-driven scavenger hunt party where attendees look for a “treasure chest” filled with Hanukkah gelt. Not only is this a cost-effective Hanukkah party idea, it puts an exciting twist on a classic activity in a way that’s fun and rewarding.
Some ways to make the treasure hunt an enriching experience include:
- Creating Hanukkah-themed clues and adding trivia questions to add a learning element to the game
- Having themed challenges at different locations, such as “record a team member singing a traditional Hanukkah song”
💡Pro tip: Take the event to the streets by having clues laid out at different locations across the city and encourage families to team up for the hunt. Event creator Questo even uses a mobile app to create an interactive experience.
12. Sugar cookie workshop
Effort: 🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Family-friendliness: 👪👪👪
Baking sugar cookies is one of the biggest highlights of Hanukkah celebrations, and it’s a fun and engaging activity that both parents and kids can enjoy.
Set up a workshop where attendees can decorate their own Hanukkah sugar cookies and take them home in a festive container once they’re done.
How to create a sugar cookie workshop Hanukkah style:
- Use Hanukkah-themed cookie cutters to make shapes like dreidels, menorahs, and stars of David
- Provide blue and white frosting and sprinkles for decoration
💡Pro tip: Consider partnering with organizations like the Oshman Family JCC, which already creates fun family cooking lessons, to provide a sense of connection for local community members.
Let Eventbrite help you plan your Hanukkah event
Hanukkah is a special time of year that brings people together to celebrate and create lasting memories. So you need your party to not only be spectacular but also incorporate the Hanukkah traditions that attendees know and love.
Why not simplify the process with tools from Eventbrite? Create a searchable event listing on the world’s largest events marketplace and make this year’s Hanukkah event your biggest yet.
Create your Hanukkah event page today!
