The traditional story of Hanukkah is a truly inspiring one; Filled with bravery, tragedies and miracles, it proudly teaches us that we should always trust Hashem. From the Hanukkah story, we learn that when we put our faith in the creator, good things happen. Good things like awesome Hanukkah parties and being saved from vengeful enemies. If our tradition teaches us one thing, it’s that united together we are strong.
There are so many wonderful things about Hanukkah. It’s a great opportunity to meet our loved ones and catch up. We get to sing Hanukkah songs together which always makes everyone cheer up, and sometimes brings out certain hidden gifts in some of our guests. We eat fun food and play with the dreidel. If that’s not enough, we actually get to enjoy all these activities for 8 whole days.
This year, when planning your Hanukkah party, why not plan a theme? No, just plain old ‘Hanukkah’ isn’t enough of a theme when so many great options are out there for you to choose from. Take your Hanukkah party to the next level by introducing many items, decorations and foods from the same category.
For example, make it a Wild Safari Hanukkah by including animal shaped snacks and a fun animal shaped menorah. What’s more fitting to decorate a Safari Hanukkah party than a whimsical inflatable bear? Your party will be the talk of the Bet Knesset.
Another fun idea is an Israel themed party. First, the dress code should be blue and white, naturally. Second, the manyfold items displaying the star of david can start at the cake, but we don’t know where they end. We can just point you towards this awesome star of david dreidel and this timeless star of david dreidel stand. To carry on with the classic theme, you could add an inflatable star of david ball with LED lights and choose one of the many Menorahs which proudly display the symbol of jewish triumph. Save us a Latke because we’re sure this evening will finish with a live performance of HaTikvah by an aunt who can’t carry a note.
Now that we have party themes covered, it’s time to discuss another important issue for this upcoming Hanukkah - what makes a dreidel a winner?
We’re glad you asked. Many are those who collect dreidels and we totally see why. The dreidel is such a sweet little item.
History books tell us that many people had their own versions of the dreidel which faded along with the years. We are good at keeping in touch with our important past, so we also kept this vital piece of it - a great toy which has become the canvas for four important letters. Nun, Gimel, He and Shin or Pe. Not just fun, but educational, to remind us of the great miracle behind this festival of lights. Many children memorize their first Hebrew letters thanks to this clever item.
The dreidel’s history dates back centuries, but we each carry our own small piece of personal history with it. We carry with us memories of playing with it as children. At first, it’s just harmless spinning, getting to know the dreidel and how best to spin it. It takes a while until we get the hang of it, maybe an older sibling comes to our aid and possibly also takes our toy away. But as we grow older, we join the family festivities; From a standard family with little interest in competitions, we turn into olympic level experts, official representatives of the Universal Dreidel Spinners association. Parents bet against their offspring and siblings form the strangest bonds. All united around this unique little toy, able to spin both on its top and bottom, quietly teaching us lessons about unity, family and gravity.
So, back to where we started - how do you pick a winner? How do you make sure your team wins? How do you get the crunchiest latke in the pile?
We are no experts on the matter, but we have spun our fair share of dreidels. World records, if ever recorded, might have been broken between the expert pinch of our thumb and forefinger, and we’re here to tell you, and here’s the unspoken secret - it’s all about the tip.
A nice pointy tip, possibly made of metal, is what makes a true champ. Add a narrow body and a good pinchy spin to reach the full potential of your medieval toy. We have gathered a full category of wonderful spinners for you, but if you’re looking for a world class competitor, consider adding the Jakard dreidel to your armada.
It has recently come to our attention that there is an exclusive group of dreidel collectors who are not that keen about actually spinning them. If you are a part of that group, or you just like dreidels for their looks, here are some exciting items for you:
The acorn dreidel is both unique and soothing. If silver could grow on trees it would probably look just like this. The dramatic black lace dreidel with its wide skirt that spins around to create visual illusions. A pomegranate dreidel to win a few more mitzvahs. And last but not least, the elegant Marlyns dreidel, to spark your imagination and get the party going.
That’s it for dreidels and parties, not it’s time to start making Latkes! Have a great holiday and send our best to all your family.
