Hanukkah 2024 Gifts: Elevated Gift Ideas, Fun Entertainment Trivia, and Timeless Tradition
by Lu, OTL Seat Fillers
There's so much information about Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Teacher Appreciation... But, there's not much about Hanukkah gift-giving, and I'm not talking about commercializing and making it all about gifts. However, there's nothing wrong with family and friends gathering together and honoring relationships with tokens of affection.
Don't expect a big expensive gift guide here. I'm discussing Hanukkah gifts by suggesting you celebrate experiences! Skip the predictable socks and chocolate coins this year and surprise your loved ones with something truly special. Think entertainment-themed hoodies with hidden trivia or three months of exciting events and activities—perfect for making Hanukkah 2024 unforgettable. While you’re here, explore fun Hanukkah trivia and traditions that celebrate the spirit of the Festival of Lights.
Oh, I'm sharing the secret to my potato pancake recipe (aka latkes) for the crispiest, yummiest ever!
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OTL Seat Fillers Gift Memberships - Fun Hanukkah Gift Ideas
I wish I could say that OTL Seat Fillers gifts are the ideal gifts for everyone this Hanukkah, but they're location-dependent. So, if your gift recipient is an adult and happens to live in one of our top cities, it IS an ideal gift. If not, then check out the mystery entertainment merch in the next section. It's another super unique way to celebrate entertainment and show someone you're really giving their gift a lot of thought!
Seat Filler gift options are based on status and location. They're the ultimate gift of things to do locally!
Preferred Seat Filler Location Gifts - aka the Busiest
London Seat Filler Gifts - Off-West End Events - All Around London
On-Call Seat Filler Gifts - One Year of Stand-By Seat Filling (averages just a few shows a year)
...for gift recipients who live in Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Nashville, Portland Oregon, Raleigh, St. Louis, Seattle, South Florida, and Tampa Bay
Echoes & Spotlights Mystery Entertainment Collection
The collection that celebrates the timeless echoes of classic entertainment and the vibrant spotlight of modern pop culture. Each design is a riddle, crafted to spark curiosity and invite conversation. From iconic movies to unforgettable TV shows, theatre, and music spanning the decades, this collection turns pop culture into an intriguing guessing game for everyone.
A Tribute to the Hanukkah Adam Sandler Song
You know it. You love it. But do you REALLY know it? Let's test your knowledge.
- The month was December. The show was Saturday Night Live. The segment was Weekend Update. In what year did Adam Sandler first sing the Hanukkah song?
- What's the name of the album featuring Part One of the Hanukkah Adam Sandler song?
- What's the name of the album featuring Part Two of the Chanukah song?
- And the hits keep coming, how many more Hanukkah songs did Adam Sandler release?
- OK. Get out your fingers and toes for this one. How many famous people can you name that are mentioned in the original Hanukkah song? I'll give you Arthur Fonzarelli to give you a head start.
Click here or scroll down to check your answers - or just listen to the song on YouTube!
What are the Hanukkah 2024 Dates?
...and why is it so late this year?
Hanukkah 2024 begins at sundown on December 25 and ends at sundown on January 2. The timing is based on the Hebrew lunar calendar, and this year’s later date aligns with the rare overlap of Hanukkah and Christmas.
I Call Them Potato Pancakes, You Might Call Them Latkes
It doesn't matter what you call them, as long as you make 'em and enjoy 'em. They are DELICIOUS!!
So, I make pretty good ones, but I don't use an actual recipe. I tend to throw things in a bowl and see what happens. But can you really go wrong with crispy potatoes and onions? Here's my take on latkes:
- Grab a big bowl. You'll want to make a lot!
- Peel about 5-6 potatoes and use a grater and shred the potatoes (you can also use a food processor with a grater attachment).
- Use paper towels and squeeze out as much water as possible.
- Chop an onion to your taste - I like bigger pieces, but my nephews don't even want onions in the mix.
- Add 2-3 eggs and about 1/8 cup of regular, all-purpose flour (bear with me for a minute on why there's so little flour).
- Add salt and pepper - and be generous with the pepper as it gives them a little kick in the background
- Add 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Why? I'm not quite sure. My Mom did it, so I do it.
- Mix it all together, and then add the secret ingredient... oatmeal! I don't measure - I just sprinkle it in, but it's probably about 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on how many potatoes you're using. Oatmeal makes these potato pancakes crispy and uber-delicious.
- Heat about an inch of canola or vegetable oil in a large (and somewhat deep) pan until it's bubbling.
- Use an ice cream scoop and start scooping the batter into the pan, but leave a lot of room in between, as you need to flatten the scoop into a pancake shape.
- When the bottom is brown, flip the pancake until the other side is browned, and drain on a plate or tray with paper towels to absorb the grease.
- I butter and serve them with sour cream and applesauce.
Yum!
Adam Sandler Chanukah Song Trivia Answers
- Adam Sandler first sang the original Hanukkah Song on December 3, 1994, on Saturday Night Live.
- Version One of the Chanukah Song is on Sandler's 1996 album, What the Hell Happened to Me?
- Part II is on 1999's Stan and Judy's Kid. It was recorded at Brandeis University.
- There are four parts to the Hanukkah Adam Sandler song. Part III came out in 2002, and mentions Ben Stiller, Harry Houdini, Natalie Portman, Paula Abdul, and Lou Reed. Part IV mentions Adam Levine, Stan Lee, Punky Brewster, David Beckham, and Olaf, and came out in 2015.
- Here are the stars of Part One:
- Here is the alphabetized list of everyone mentioned in Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song with shorter notes:
Ann Landers (Eppie Lederer)
Arthur Fonzarelli (Fictional character from Happy Days, part Jewish on maternal side)
Captain Kirk (William Shatner)
David Lee Roth
Dear Abby (Pauline Phillips)
Dinah Shore (Replaced with Pauly Shore in some performances)
Ebenezer Scrooge (Sandler insists he’s not Jewish, despite what some people think)
Goldie Hawn (Jewish mother)
Harrison Ford
Henry Winkler (Jewish actor who played Fonzarelli)
James Caan
Jon Bauman (Bowzer from Sha Na Na)
Kirk Douglas
Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock)
O. J. Simpson (Declared “not a Jew!”)
Paul Newman (Jewish father)
Rod Carew (Mistakenly claimed to have converted to Judaism)
The owner of the Seattle SuperSonics
The Three Stooges (Moe, Shemp, and Curly Howard; Larry Fine, Joe Besser; Joe DeRita wasn’t Jewish)
Tom Cruise (Scientologist; Sandler jokes his agent might be Jewish)
Oh, and he also mentions "You" and "Me."