Celebrities Share Their Favorite Hanukkah Memories and Traditions

During the Festival of Lights, it’s all about family traditions, gift-giving and of course, food. We asked some famous MOTs about their favorite Hanukkah memories, and how they celebrate now.

I remember we had a project in school to make a menorah and I made one out of a sweet potato. I put the holes in it for the candles and the shammash. At the end of Hanukkah, I could have eaten it but I don’t like sweet potatoes. Whenever I see [a sweet potato] now it reminds me of Hanukkah. — Itzhak Perlman, violinist

When I was growing up, we didn’t do presents for Hanukkah. We just lit the candles. It was very much about religion and family. Birthdays were when we got our presents.
— Marissa Jaret Winokur, “Perfect Harmony”

I still give my grown-up daughter eight little gifts every Hanukkah. No matter how old your baby is, it’s still so much fun to continue the tradition.”
— Mimi Leder, producer and director, “The Morning Show”

I love Hanukkah. My family really didn’t do gifts. My grandfather would bring us little coins from the Lubavitcher Chabad. When I’m home in Israel, the only thing I try to do on Hanukkah is avoid bakeries. They have amazing sufganiyot all over Tel Aviv and I’m trying not to gain weight.
— Gideon Raff, writer, producer and director, “The Spy”

When Jewish comedians come from out of town, they have no place to go for Hanukkah, so we invite them to come upstairs for latkes. I spend an hour or two with them and then I go home to celebrate with my family. 

One year, a few guys got together and got me a big, beautiful chocolate dreidel with “Jamie, Happy Hanukkah” on it. I put it in the storage room because I’m very sentimental about this stuff. I didn’t want to eat it. A few years later I had the guys over for latkes and told them I still had it. I went down to the storage room to get it, and it was a big, brown mess. I think ants had eaten it. Very sad, but we had a good laugh about it. 

When I was growing up, living in Iran, we were poor. I never got a present. But I got a lot of love and that’s the most important thing.”
— Jamie Masada, Laugh Factory owner

I loved Hanukkah because I was a potato latke maniac. If I was on a deserted island the only thing I’d want is a bucket of potato latkes and applesauce to dip them in. I know how to make them and made them once. They’re so delicious.
This year I’m going to try again.”
— Matt Cohen, actor, “Holiday Date”