Hanukkah Party Invitation Wording for Family, Friends and Kids
Hanukkah runs for eight nights, so a Hanukkah invitation has a choice to make that a Christmas one doesn't: which night, and whether guests come for the candle lighting itself or for the party around it. Here is wording for each kind of gathering, with the details that matter for latkes, sufganiyot and a house full of kids with dreidels.
Wording to copy
- Family candle lighting: "Join us for the third night of Hanukkah. Sunday, December 6, candle lighting at 5:30 pm, dinner to follow. Bring your menorah if you'd like to light alongside ours."
- Latke party: "Latke night! Thursday, December 10, from 7 pm. We're frying, you're eating. Bring something sweet or a bottle of wine."
- Kids' afternoon: "Dreidels, gelt and donuts. A Hanukkah afternoon for the kids (and their grown-ups). Saturday, December 5, 3 to 5 pm. Siblings welcome."
- Open house: "Our Hanukkah open house is on. Stop by any time between 4 and 8 pm on Sunday, December 6. Latkes all evening, candles at sunset."
- Friends who don't celebrate: "Never been to a Hanukkah party? Come to ours. Tuesday, December 8, 7 pm. We'll explain the candles, you'll eat the latkes."
- Mixed holiday gathering: "A Hanukkah and Christmas get-together, because our family does both. December 19, from 5 pm. Latkes and cookies, candles and lights."
- Eighth night: "All eight candles on the last night. Friday, December 11, 6 pm. Come celebrate the end of the holiday with dinner and dessert."
- Office or community: "Community Hanukkah gathering, Wednesday, December 9, 6 pm, at the center. Candle lighting, songs, latkes and donuts. Everyone welcome."
- Potluck: "Hanukkah potluck. We've got the latkes; you bring a side, a salad or dessert. Monday, December 7, 6 pm."
- Short text: "Hanukkah dinner at ours Sun Dec 6, candles 5:30. Can you make it? Tap to RSVP."
What to include
- Which night of Hanukkah it is, and the date.
- The candle-lighting time, which is at or after sunset, and the time the party starts if that is different.
- Whether guests should bring their own menorah and candles.
- The address and parking. Candle lighting is at a fixed time, so say if parking takes a while.
- What's on the menu, and whether the food is kosher or vegetarian.
- Whether kids are invited and what there is for them.
- Gifts: no gifts, a gelt exchange, or a book swap. Say which.
- The RSVP deadline.
Lines for the details guests ask about
- Candle time: "Candles at 5:40 sharp. Come at 5 so you don't miss them, or at 6 and still get latkes."
- Bring a menorah: "If you have a menorah, bring it. We'll light them all together on the windowsill."
- Food: "The kitchen is kosher dairy. Latkes, blintzes and sufganiyot, with a vegetable soup for anyone who wants something lighter."
- Kids: "Dreidel tournament at 4 with chocolate gelt as the prize. Bring your own nerves."
- Gifts: "No gifts, please. If you'd like to bring something, a children's book for the shelter drive is welcome."
- Mixed company: "Not everyone here celebrates Hanukkah, and that's the point. Come as you are."
- Leaving early: "Stay for one candle or all evening. Both are fine."
Picking the night
Weekend nights fill up fastest, and the first and last nights carry the most meaning for many families. If guests are coming from other households that light their own candles, an afternoon or a weekend evening is easier than a weeknight. In 2026, Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, and the eighth candles are lit on Friday, December 11. The dates move each year on the regular calendar, anywhere from late November to late December, so check them for the year you are planning.
Send the invitation three weeks before the night you chose. The December calendar is crowded, and a Hanukkah party competes with every other holiday event.
Choosing a design
Blast's holiday collection is built around winter and party designs rather than one tradition: candlelight and golden glow, minimal frames, cookie and cocktail themes, and a few that are simply festive. Pick one with warm light or a plain frame and let the words carry the holiday. Blast doesn't offer a menorah or dreidel design today, so if you want those symbols, say them in the headline and the note.
Send it as a video invitation
Blast makes an animated video invitation with music that you send as a link by text, WhatsApp or email. Guests tap it, watch, and RSVP on the same page without creating an account. Their replies go to your private dashboard and to your email, with any note they add, such as which night they can make. Blast is free to create and send, with no limit on the number of guests.
Themes to start from
Browse themes
Related guides
Which night of Hanukkah should I host on?
Any night works. Many families keep the first and last nights for themselves and host friends on a weekend night in between. If most of your guests light candles at home, an afternoon gathering avoids the clash.
What time is candle lighting?
At nightfall, so it moves with sunset. Give guests the exact time on the invitation and ask them to arrive 20 to 30 minutes before, since the lighting itself is short and easy to miss.
Can I invite friends who don't celebrate Hanukkah?
Yes, and many hosts do. A line such as "never been to a Hanukkah party? Come to ours" makes the invitation warm instead of awkward, and a sentence about what will happen puts first-timers at ease.
Does Blast have Hanukkah invitation designs?
Not with a menorah or dreidel, as of this guide. The holiday collection has winter, candlelight and party designs that work for a Hanukkah gathering, and the headline and note carry the holiday itself.