I do. I don’t do the gifts or the Maccabees or any of that, but I torch up a menorah every year. I think it’s a nice tradition.
This really surprised a Jewish friend of mine. She thought is was pretty cool that I do so.
And I’m in charge of 4 menorahs at work. It’s my job to populate them with the appropriate number of candles every day.
I’m Jewish, so my menorah-lighting isn’t relevant here, but why do you think it’s a nice tradition? Why do you find it meaningful? I suppose I don’t understand because for me, it’s an overtly religious action, and although I might admire another religion’s practices from afar, I wouldn’t take part.
Also, what would ‘doing the Maccabees’ be? FWIW, gifts aren’t a traditional Chanukah thing, either (classically, you’d give your kids ‘Chanukah gelt,’ money), but they’ve caught on here because of Chanukah’s proximity to Christmas.
Everybody do The Maccabees! [dances]
Sort of. My wife and Mother-in-law (who lives with us) are Jewish, so they light the Menorah. I normally would give my wife something on Chanukah and on Christmas, but this year I don’t have it done yet. So while I don’t overtly participate, I stand respectfully and quietly while they light it.
[sings]Hey, Maccabe-es!
While I have doubts as to his accuracy, Chris Hitchens’ take on the true meaning of Hanukkah (a celebration of the victory of religious fundamentalists over “apostates” trying to assimilate into Hellenic culture) makes me a little hesitant to light a menorah.
But we did make a dreidel out of a small milk carton and a pencil, then played for Cheerios, and my daughter got a huge kick out of it. She can now read five words - her name in English, and Nun, Gimel, Hey, and Shin in Hebrew. 
(Oh, we are atheists. My husband said, “Why’d you make a dreidel - we’re not Jewish!” and I replied, “We celebrate Christmas, and we’re not Christians, so why not?”)
I have a lot of Jewish friends, and they’ve invited me over to celebrate with them. According to them they couldn’t not invite me since my Yiddish is better than theirs, simply because I speak German, and I sing Dreidel Dreidel better than they do.
I’m really excited! I also feel very honoured to be invited a religious ceremony like that, as I’d assume it’s a very personal thing.
Should I bring a ham for Hanukah?
I don’t really find it meaningful, in any way more than I find having a Christmas tree meaningful. As an atheist, to me they are merely decorative. But they both have come to be part of December, which is quite different from every other month of the year. Plus, I like candles.
By “doing” maccabees I mean buying and eating the chocolate ones. Same with the gold coins. On some occasions I might, but often not. Much in the same way I may or may not “do” eggnog.
I had never in my life heard of chocolate maccabees. The gold coins are ubiquitous, of course. I was ready to call bullshit on that until I Googled up this . Who knew?
Really? I see them in stores all the time. Then again, I live in a very Jewish neighborhood.
I celebrated with a friend’s family once and had a wonderful time. It seemed as voodoo to me as Christmas, but the food was great (even that weird fish) and we had lots of fun.
I see them all over, I’ve just never heard them called “macabees.”
I call them chocolate gelt.
I like to make latkes at some point during Hanukkah. And I have a silly song about latkes that I sing (I learned it at a community celebration I went to once–my college bf was Jewish and I attended a bunch of celebrations). And we have some picture books (really I wish I had more Passover picture books, but they aren’t as common AFAIK).
My wife’s Jewish,and part of a tight though not excessively observant family. I’m making sufganiyot and taking some of my applebutter to the gathering,today.Sister-in-law makes the best latkes.Otherwise at home it’s simple gifts and lighting the menorah while they sing that song about the hippy Mellow Hainu and JAP Mitzy Vannu being broke and annoyed.
The kid wants to make a menorah that burns olive oil,looking into that.
You should bring bacon-wrapped shrimp in a cream sauce, cooked in your one frying pan that you use for everything.
Carson O’Genic, I used an olvie-oil burning menorah a few years ago and really liked it. They should be easily found at any Judaica store.
sturmhauke, I have the same joke with my friends whenever they ask what to bring to one of my Jewish-themed parties.
As per the actual thread, I am Jewish (not Orthodox, obviously) but I notice that my non-Jewish friends really really like the whole menorah thing. I’m cool with it.
You forgot the black pudding!
Cool! Is there a confectionary Antiochus Epiphanes that you can bite the head off of?
Really? Here I thought I made it up. Strange minds think alike.
Ah yes. I wonder if it can get any more non-kosher…