Some suggestions for how to gear up for a magical eight days

Get the Menorah Ready

Polishing the silver is exciting in my family; it’s not a job we give to cleaning help! There are a few ways to get that silver gleaming:

This is what I find to be the easiest method. Line your sink with aluminum foil (including the edges). Then pour boiling water into the sink. Use enough water so that your pieces will be fully submerged. Add 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup salt to the water. Mix everything until bubbles start to form. Place your Menorah in the sink. Let it soak for one-half hour. Remove it and dry with a soft cloth. If you’d like, you can add vinegar for a more intense polish.

To remove water stains: Lemon juice can help remove water stains on silver. Dip a cloth into lemon juice and polish away.

Cleaning silver with toothpaste can also produce sparkling results. Dissolve toothpaste with a little water, polish the silver with a soft cloth, and rinse.

Gleaming Glasses

After Chanukah is over, clean the glass cups right away. Soak in warm water (don’t make the water too hot or the glass will crack) and dish soap overnight. The next day, place the glasses in the dishwasher on a normal load cycle. Every year we have one or two that are so black even this process doesn’t help, but for the most part this will get them shiny as new.

Be My Guest

Every year, in honor of Shabbos Chanukah, my mother-in-law makes hostess bags for the family Chanukah weekend.

For the adults, the bags will include: a big chocolate coin, a water bottle, a Shabbos schedule complete with a nice label with the family name.

For the kids, she prepares drawstring polyester bags in different colors. The bags come with chocolate coins, a drink, and a coloring book and pack of crayons for them to work on before Shabbos, while everyone else is doing all the last-minute Shabbos preparations.