Elevate your Hanukkah soiree with these elegant entertaining ideas.
Hanukkah is a holiday renowned for its rich symbolism and traditions, but homeowner Ellie Metrick also sees it as an opportunity for elegant entertaining. As a great-granddaughter of the founder of Toronto decor destination Elte, Ellie has a natural flair for playing the fabulous host. With the help of her decorator friend, Jessica Waks, she placed a contemporary spin on the holiday’s age-old customs for a crafty cocktail party on the last night of Hanukkah. Here are 12 fresh ideas to inspire your own soiree.
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12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips
Branch out
Home-owner Ellie Metrick’s warm and inviting living room is the perfect spot for an informal Hanukkah gathering. A centrepiece of decorative branches adorned with ornaments and nestled into a glass vase filled with gelt (foil-wrapped chocolate coins) acts as the focal point.
12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips
Branch out
Home-owner Ellie Metrick’s warm and inviting living room is the perfect spot for an informal Hanukkah gathering. A centrepiece of decorative branches adorned with ornaments and nestled into a glass vase filled with gelt (foil-wrapped chocolate coins) acts as the focal point.
12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips
Draw your cards
The modern and sculptural silver menorah holds colour-blocked candles that set Ellie’s Carrara marble kitchen counter-top aglow. Surrounding it are her homemade party invites, crafted using rubber stamps and textured paper to produce a pop art take on some of Hanukkah’s quintessential symbols: the dreidel, menorah and Star of David.
12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips
Eat a lat(ke)
Fried potato pancakes called latkes are served at Hanukkah celebrations as a nod to the miracle of a single day’s worth of oil burning for eight nights in the Temple of Jerusalem in the second century BCE – and they’re also incredibly tasty and easy to whip up when company comes over. Ellie likes to garnish hers with sour cream, sea salt and chives, but for a sweet spin on the same treat, try topping with applesauce.
12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips
Stock the bar
What would a cocktail party be without a fully stocked bar cart? Ellie uses hers to reinforce the palette: The clean, contemporary lines of the chrome and glass cart play off the graphic blue and white abstract artwork above it.
12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips
Serve bite-sized treats
Ellie serves bite-sized nibbles both savoury and sweet – like the sufganiyot, which she reimagined as donut holes in lieu of the typical large jelly version – on her sleek minimalist dining table, perfect for guests to gather around. The ethereal starburst chandelier (shown on the following page) adds to the festive vibe.
12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips
Light it up
Ellie created traditional Hanukkah decor out of atypical everyday pieces. This menorah was easily fashioned from white taper candles, glass votive holders and blue sand – all inexpensive dollar store finds. Though the lighting of the official menorah is steeped in tradition, this ersatz option offers Ellie’s guests a chance to participate and get into the spirit.
12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips
Bake your mark
Here’s a simple yet stylish party favour: Cookies in symbolic shapes in the vibrant blue and white palette. Guests can snack on them while visiting or take a few home for a tasty midnight treat.
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