Around the House: Host Your Best Chanukah Party Yet
By Yehudit Garmaise
With Chanukah just days away, now is the time to get our
homes ready and organized to “light up the night” with a festive party.
1. Scrub down your home before welcoming
people in. A deeply cleaned home provides a more welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for guests, and pre-cleaning always makes after-party
clean-up much easier. Clear the usual clutter, such as mail, magazines,
newspapers, and children’s projects. Scour your kitchen, bathrooms, and all
public areas so they look fresh, smell clean, and stay inviting. Straighten up
books on bookshelves so they all stand upright, and vacuum not just carpets but
corners, under couches, and cushions. Consider what you
can pare down and what you might not want out when guests arrive. Is laundry
hanging anywhere? Do you have piles of papers in your dining room? A minimalist
look is the most inviting and relaxing space. Mop your floors, vacuum all rugs,
and wipe down all counters and cabinets.
2. Don’t forget the walls, doors,
doorknobs, mirrors, glass, and bathrooms, all good things to clean
before and after many guests come over to clean and prevent the spread of
germs. Walk around your home with a bottle of anti-bacterial cleaner and a few
towels, and make sure all your surfaces are clean. Spray some wood cleaner on your wooden furniture with a different towel and make it shine and smell
great. Use glass cleaner on all mirrors, windows, and glass
surfaces. Empty all trash cans, and take out the garbage. Wash and change all
the sheets and towels, and finish doing all your laundry to ensure nothing
smells bad or looks dirty in your home.
3. Make a great first
impression: Sweep out the area and steps leading up to your front door, throw
away any garbage, and put away any mail, toys, and strollers that are usually
left out. Make your entryway look clean and inviting. Clean the outside of your
door, your doorknob, light switches, and all handles before and after guests
arrive.
4. Invest in a nice coat rack and/or extra
hangers for parties. With the temperature dropping, everyone will come bundled
up. The many coats, hats, and gloves will create a big mess unless hosts
provide a central place or closet with plenty of extra hangers ready for
hanging outerwear. Remember also to clean and organize your inside entryway and create a neat, bordered space for outside shoes and boots for people who
want to remove them.
5. Prep your bathrooms for
extra visitors: Make sure the floors are swept, cleaned, and mopped with
something that looks and smells fresh and clean. Put away all personal
care products. Stock extra tissues, a full container of new liquid soap, and
freshly laundered hand towels.
6. Stock up
on a few Chanukah decorations, or better yet, have your kids make a few
Chanukah decorations to hang. Local stores sell inexpensive decorations and
little projects that children can make to get excited for the coming
Chag and maybe teach their friends how to make at the party.
7. Plan ahead for children so they have something to do: Set up a fun craft table in another clean and organized room or more centrally located so adults can keep their eyes on their children. Buy plenty of new markers, Chanukah coloring books, plain white paper, new clay to be used with Chanukah cookie cutters or to make dreidals, and Chanukah crafts. Other fun ideas are buying plain donuts, providing frostings, icing, and different sprinkles, and having a donut-decorating contest. Kids can also make decorations with one adult leading the craft table. Get little prizes for games, and also make the night exciting for kids. Maybe even hire a kids’ entertainer, such as a creator of balloon animals, a bubble entertainer, a magician, or a “weird scientist.” See below for previous Rockland Daily Chanukah craft and game ideas for families and parties.
https://rocklanddaily.com/news/zos-chanukah-family-fun-make-a-paint-night-partyhttps://rocklanddaily.com/news/around-the-house-create-chanukah-family-fun-all-eight-nightshttps://rocklanddaily.com/news/around-the-house-create-chanukah-family-fun-all-eight-nights
8. Plan ahead for ladies and
babies: Clean and straighten one bedroom or other room in your room and
dedicate it to women who need space to feed babies and change their diapers.
Put a comfortable chair or rocking chair in the room.
9. Create a simple and fun Chanukah
tablescape for your dining room. Lay down a special white tablecloth decorated
with menorahs, dreidels, mogen dovids, and other Chanukah images. Put out all
the Chanukah-themed serving ware you have collected over the years, and maybe
pick up a few more things to make your home look more festive. Chanukah-themed
salad serving pieces, platters, and dessert plates add to the fun.
10. Set up chairs for gathering
in your clean, tidy, and clutter-free living room.
11. Keep your Shabbos urn full and on, and
put out disposable hot cups, instant coffee, tea, and hot chocolate with sugar
and fun, flavored creamers, and whipped cream so people can serve themselves.
Put plates of Chanukah-themed cookies, donuts, and chocolate gelt and stacks of
Chanukah-themed paper plates and napkins around the home so people can nosh.
12. Stay focused on listening to and
entertaining your guests; don’t worry about the inevitable messes. Guests can’t
relax and have a good time when hosts run around with towels and spray bottles
or start running the vacuum while parties are still in swing. Homes are going
to get dirty during parties in unexpected ways. Take precautions by covering
things to protect them, but also accept that you will need cleaning help before
you light candles for the next night of Chanukah.
13. Turn up the Chanukah songs, ask a friend or two to prepare special Chanukah d’var Torahs for when the time is right, make a new kind of latke, such as with slices of pastrami in them, split up Tehillim so everyone can quickly complete the sefer together, have fun, and celebrate Yidden’s triumph over our enemies throughout history, with Hashem’s help.
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