It’s the most wonderful time of the— wait a minute, not that song again. Have yourself a— no, no, no! I don’t celebrate… Jingle Bell Jingle Bell Jingle rock! (Okay, now I admit that I like the do-wop catchy tune of that song).
Yes, it is that time of year again when every non-Christmas celebrating family is bombarded by a never-ending flow of jingles, baubles, and cookies galore. Coming from an interfaith background I grew up with both Christmas and Hanukkah. So I know all about ho-ho-ho, and nun, gimel, hay, and shin. I have had my gelt and eaten plenty of gingerbread. However, now I am a mom. I am a mother to a beautiful, inquisitive child who is learning all about the world. With each holiday season I often found myself internally conflicted. No doubt throughout the rest of the year I could celebrate the Jewish holidays with ease. (There isn’t much “competition” really. Even Easter doesn’t stack up to Purim). But Christmas is the Babe Ruth of holidays. And Hanukkah… well it gets pushed to the back aisle of every store. Or worse, we must order our things online! But I digress.
This year I made it my mission to tackle December and embrace the holidays in a whole new way. Hanukkah lasts 8 nights. For those 8 nights we will be flipping latkes, eating sugary delicious treats, and having schmaltz run through our veins. But what about the rest of the month? Our kids will see lights, Santa, and frosty on every corner. How do we keep them entertained? I compiled a list of 31 things to do once a day to beat the December holiday “battle”. What you’ll notice about this list is that once Hanukkah is over, try to embrace Winter as a whole! There are a ton of things to do during winter that don’t require sitting on Santa’s lap. Enjoy the list and have a wonderful day! ❤
December FREE Activity List!
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Watch “Eight Crazy Nights” by Adam Sandler
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Make Sufganiyot
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Cook potato pancakes (latkes!)
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Light the menorah
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Read the story of hanukkah as a family
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Watch “Frozen” as a family
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Watch “Rugrats Chanukah” movie
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Make a winter craft
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Play dreidal with gelt
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Take a horse and carriage ride
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See the holiday lights
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Make hot cocoa and watch Jack Frost
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Bake Winter cookies
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Have a slumber party as a family
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Make new year’s resolutions
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Donate to the local food bank
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Decorate the house for the holidays
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Go ice skating
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Sing along to a hanukkah playlist
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Read Hanukkah books
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Send out holiday e-cards
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Make homemade fudge
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Cook churros and chocolate
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Make rice crispie treats
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Eat Chinese food on Christmas Day! (Lol)
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Watch Disney’s “Brave”
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Make gingerbread cookies
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Cook kugel and brisket
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Roast s’mores by a fire
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Take a winter nature walk
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Go to a local parade
Raising a Mensch 