Forget ugly sweater parties and light em up – we’re talking Hanukkah everyone. The Jewish holiday may not exactly entail eight days of gifts or Bubbe’s homemade potato latkes while you’re away at school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the miracle of light student-style. Ditch your family’s probing questions and put a new spin (ha, get it?) on the game of dreidel. The Maccabees would want nothing less.
1. Drunken Dreidel
Your rabbi will understand. Gather up all your friends and tell them it’s the newest version of beer pong. There are no official rules (yet) but take a shot every time you land on Nun and finish your drink if you’re lucky enough to land on Gimmel.
2. Party at the MatzoBall
You better believe this is real. This year the 28th annual MatzoBall party will take place on December 24th, so you don’t have to worry about plans for Christmas Eve. Cities all around the country host a MatzoBall party for Jewish singles at the hottest clubs – just tell mom you’re on your way to find your doctor-lawyer husband. It’s a mitzvah.
3. Organize a “Hidden Hanukkah Harry” with your friends.
It’s like Secret Santa, except so much better.
4. Get your Jewish holidays in a box
You can get these special care packages anywhere online, from grandma, or even from your local temple. They come equipped with everything you need for a Hanukkah celebration on the go like recipes, songs, dreidels, games and your very own menorah.
5. Spin the Dreidel
We’re too old for chocolate to be a good prize anyway. Turn Dreidel into a game of spin the bottle and invite all the nice Jewish boys over.
6. Take a shot for each night the oil lasted
It’s a miracle!
7. Make your own latkes
Throw some tater tots in a toaster oven and smoosh them together into pancakes. Add applesauce and sour cream and you’re golden.
8. No but seriously, check out your local Hillel or Chabad for free matzo ball soup and gelt
