3 Hanukkah Songs To Put You in the Festive Holiday Spirit

Whenever December rolls around, the thought, musically speaking, is to put on Christmas music. Songs like “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” or “White Christmas.” But as we all know Christmas isn’t the only important celebration when the calendar year ends. For many, Hanukkah is an important time of year. A time worth celebrating. A time where music can be essential.

Here below, we wanted to explore three Hanukkah songs that have always put a smile on people’s faces. A trio of tracks that both acknowledge and celebrate the time of year. Indeed, these are three Hanukkah songs to put you in the festival holiday spirit.

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“The Chanukah Song” by Adam Sandler from What the Hell Happened to Me? (1996)

For all those people who think they’re the only ones who celebrate Hanukkah, comedian and Saturday Night Live veteran Adam Sandler wrote a song to enumerate many of the famous and successful folks who are also of the Jewish faith. From baseball player Rod Carew to Henry Winkler. Indeed, Sandler sings proudly about all his fellow Jews, offering,

Put on your yarmulke
Here comes Chanukah
So much funukkah
To celebrate Chanukah
Chanukah is the festival of lights
Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights

When you feel like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree
Here’s a list of people who are Jewish just like you and me

“The Dreidel Song” by Julie Silver from It’s Chanukah Time (2010)

This song is probably the first one kids learn about the Jewish faith and the Hanukkah season. Here below, it’s performed by singer Julie Silver, who gives it an almost country twang with slider guitars and the full band. On the tune, she sings the famed origin story of the dreidel, the toy that many young Jewish kids get to play with as young children. Silver sings over an acoustic,

I had a little dreidel, I made it out of clay
When it’s dry and ready oh dreidel I will play
I made it out of clay!

“The Latke Song” by Debbie Friedman from Light These Lights (2007)

This song, which comes from Debbie Friedman’s 2007 LP Light These Lights, includes lyrics that show what it would be like if a latke could talk. For those who don’t know what a latke is, it’s a potato pancake made by shredding the vegetable and frying it and then serving it with sour cream or apple sauce (yum!). And here, Friedman sings,

I am a latke, I am a latke
& I am waiting for Chanukah to come
I am a latke, I am latke
& I am waiting for Chanukah to come

Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images