Happy Hanukkah To You!

For Jewish people, Hanukkah is considered to be more of a minor holiday and therefore, a bit more lighthearted. Very often though, songs for Hanukkah can be slow, thoughtful, serious, and in a minor key. From time to time, we have had requests to write something lighter and happier and in a major key. So that's what we are providing with "Happy Hanukkah To You!" The song is very upbeat and simple, and most students should be able to sing it, even your youngest. And because it's unison and repetitious, it probably won't take long to learn.

For a little bit of movement, when singing verses one and four, which have the same lyrics, have your singers point to people in the audience each time they sing "to you" and "and you." And if you want to make things even easier, just sing that same verse the second and third time as well.

Your kids will probably really enjoy the hip hop beat (and the masterful drumming of Dane Clark), and they'll probably have the urge to dance to it. Consider having them clap on beat three of each measure for the last two verses until the third measure of the coda and then on the downbeat of the last measure. If you have a couple of performers with particularly good rhythm, let them play a tambourine along with the clapping, or freely throughout.