A long-distance Hanukkah with grandparents
To share Hanukkah with faraway grandparents, light candles together on a video call each night, take turns telling the story, and swap one small family memory per candle. A short shared game, like a dreidel challenge or a holiday mystery, gives kids a reason to call every night.
How do you celebrate Hanukkah with grandparents who live far away?
Make the call part of the lighting. Set the phone or tablet where the grandparent can see the menorah, light together at the same moment if your time zones allow, and give each night a small job for the grandkids, so the call is something they do rather than something they sit through.
What if the time zones don't line up?
Pick one shared moment instead of every night. Grandparents can record the blessing for the kids to play when they light, and the grandkids can send back a photo of the candles. Save the live call for the weekend nights.
Eight nights, eight calls
- Night 1: Grandparent tells the story of the first Hanukkah they remember.
- Night 2: A dreidel game on camera; the grandparent keeps score.
- Night 3: Latke night: the grandparent shares their recipe and the kids report back.
- Night 4: Show-and-tell: everyone brings one thing that matters to them.
- Night 5: The grandkids ask three questions from a list made in advance.
- Night 6: Sing together, even badly.
- Night 7: Solve a short split-clue puzzle: each side holds half the clues.
- Night 8: Everyone names one thing they want to do together next year.