Hanukkah 2015: Top 8 Songs About Latkes, Menorahs, Maccabees To Sing During The Festival Of Lights This Year

Hanukkah is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to break out the music for the festival of lights. The Jewish holiday has many traditional songs that talk about the theme of miracles and celebrate the holiday, but recent years have also seen a proliferation of more-lighthearted tunes praising latkes or parodying popular music. From classic to modern to just plain ridiculous, here are the best Hanukkah songs to sing this year.

“Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah”: One of the most classic tunes, you can find an easy recording on Aish.com. Some sample lyrics:

"Oh Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah, come light the menorah
Let's have a party, we'll all dance the hora
Gather round the table, we'll all have a treat
Sivivon to play with, and latkes to eat."

“Ma’Oz Tzur”: This one’s in Hebrew, and it focuses on thanking God for restoring an ancient temple after it was destroyed, which is part of the story of Hanukkah. You can find a translation on Aish.com.

"Maoz tzur yeshua-si
Lecha na-eh li-sha-beyach
Tikone bais ti-fee-lasi
Vi-sham todah ni-za-beyach."

“I Have A Little Dreidel”: A song about everyone’s favorite Hanukkah game!

"I have a little dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it's dry and ready
Then dreidel I shall play!

Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it's dry and ready
Then dreidel I shall play!"

“Sivivon, Sov, Sov, Sov”: Another dreidel song, but this time in Hebrew. MyJewishLearning.com has an English translation and recording where you can listen to the song.

"Sivivon, sov, sov, sov
Hanukkah, hu chag tov
Hanukkah, hu chag tov
Sivivon, sov, sov, sov!"

“Hanukkah, Hanukkah”: A traditional song about the joys of Hanukkah. You can find a recording here.

"Hanukkah, Hanukkah
Chag yafeh kol kach
Ohr chaviv, mi-saviv
Gil li-yeled rach.

Hanukkah, Hanukkah
Sivivon, sov, sov
Sov, sov, sov! Sov, sov, sov!
Ma nayim vi-tov."

“The Latke Song”: This song by the Jewish singer Debbie Friedman is a fanciful take on the traditional potato pancakes eaten during Hanukkah. You can see the full lyrics on JewishLearningMatters.com.

"I am so mixed up that I cannot tell you, I'm sitting in this blender turning brown.
I've made friends with the onions and the flour,
And the cook is scouting oil in the town.
I sit here wondering what will come of me,
I can't be eaten looking as I do. I need someone to take me out and cook me,
Or I'll really end up in a royal stew."

Chorus:

"I am a latke, I am a latke
And I am waiting for Hanukkah to come
I am a latke, I am a latke
And I am waiting for Hanukkah to come"

“Latke Recipe”: This parody of Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up And Dance” by the Jewish singing group The Maccabeats is one of this year’s most popular Hanukkah parodies. The group is known for their high-production-value songs, so check out previous years’ songs as well.

"Tonight is Hanukkah
Got everything we need
A frying pan, some oil
And a latke recipe
Let’s celebrate our ancestry
We’ve got ooh, ooh, ooh
The latke recipe"

Watch Me (Spin/Drey-Drey): This parody is by the group Six13 and is based on a mashup of songs by Silento, Drake and Cheddar Da Connect.

"Shalom …
You already know what holiday it is!
Hanukkah … Hanukkah …

Now watch me spin
I spin my drey-drey
Now watch me spin
Shin, nun, gimmel, hay-hay
I light that wick
Lehadlik nay-nay
Because that oil lasted
For eight day-days"