11.12.2024 Juanita
Supporting diversity
Hanukkah, or Chanukah in Hebrew, is the Jewish festival of lights. Although the dates of Hanukkah change every year, they always fall in November or December and last for eight days.
This year, it begins on a Wednesday evening, December 25, 2024, and ends on Thursday evening, January 2, 2025.
If your care home has Jewish residents, it's important to start planning meaningful activities for Hanukkah. Consider organising a series of events, such as lighting the Menorah together each night, where residents can share stories and traditions associated with the holiday.
You might also plan craft sessions for creating Hanukkah decorations, like dreidels or a 'Happy Hanukkah' wreath, allowing residents to express their creativity.
Care providers should also consider hosting special meals featuring traditional Jewish foods, such as crispy, flavourful latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), the perfect Hanukkah dessert! These can be enjoyed while sharing the importance and customs of Hanukkah.
Additionally, engaging residents in games such as dreidel can bring fun and excitement to the celebrations.
Overall, care providers should aim to create a warm and inclusive environment that honours the rich traditions of Hanukkah while allowing residents to connect and celebrate together.
Hanukkah activities for older adults of all abilities that promote inclusion
Our Wellness and Activities platform has an array of inclusive activities for older adults of all abilities, helping to improve residents' outcomes and overall wellbeing.
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We offer a wide variety of activities that can be tailored to each individual's preferences. These activities include arts and crafts, exercise lessons, relaxation workshops, puzzles, magazines, cooking recipes, and virtual tours that significantly support reminiscence therapy.
The options are extensive, ensuring that you have plenty to choose from.
Additionally, we provide activities specifically for Hanukkah; see a few examples below!
Celebrate Hanukkah with our Menorah craft!
This enjoyable Menorah craft activity on our Wellness and Activities platform brings the festive spirit of Hanukkah to life and allows residents to express their creativity. It serves as a beautiful festive decoration and an engaging opportunity for social interaction and creative expression among residents.
Once completed, each beautifully crafted Menorah will serve as a delightful decoration within the care home. Displaying these Menorahs will not only enhance the holiday atmosphere but will also bring joy and warmth to all who encounter them, creating a welcoming and festive atmosphere throughout the home.
Suitable for:
- Dementia friendly
- Visual impairment
- Group & small group
- Hearing impairment
- Independent
- One to one
- Reduced mobility
Download our activity book featuring all the fun of Hanukkah!
Our Wellness and Activities platform offers an activity book for residents highlighting the fun of Hanukkah. This resource is packed with a variety of activities designed to bring smiles during this Jewish holiday.
You'll find Hanukkah puzzles, printable Hanukkah colouring pages, Hanukkah word scrambles and word searches, traditional Hanukkah songs, and more!
Suitable for:
- Dementia friendly
- Visual impairment
- Group & small group
- Hearing impairment
- Independent
- One to one
- Reduced mobility
Our Wellness and Activities platform offers a variety of engaging resources to enhance the understanding and celebration of Hanukkah among residents.
The platform has everything from specially designed Hanukkah crosswords, which challenge participants and educate them about the significance and customs of this important holiday, to hosting insightful faith sessions led by Rabbi Irit, where residents can delve deeply into the rich history and meaningful traditions of the Festival of Lights, fostering a greater appreciation of the holiday's significance.
Above are just a few of our Hanukkah activities; there are plenty more!
Celebrating Hanukkah in care homes gives the residents a chance to come together, learn, and enjoy the spirit of this special holiday. So, what are you waiting for? Click here to view our full list of activities!
