Celebrate the themes of freedom represented by the coincidence of the Boston Tea Party occurring on the last night of Hanukkah in 1773.

Here are some suggestions, inspired by The Boston Chocolate Party:

• Design a chocolatey invitation for guests. Copy and paste chocolate images from this website.

• Suggest that guests dress in costume from pre-revolutionary Boston.

• Create the environment of an old chocolate factory—with the actual product or photos of cocoa beans, chocolate stone, chocolate balls.

• Light an oil-based Hanukkah lamp, like the one used by Joshua’s Sephardi family. Or, float wicks on oil in a bowl of water. (available online)

• While the candles burn, sing or listen to a Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) Hanukkah song such as Ocho Kandelikas and play the colonial game of jackstraws, now known as pick-up sticks.

• Drink hot chocolate and eat buñuelos fried dough using the recipes in The Boston Chocolate Party.

• With children, read The Boston Chocolate Party, the story of how Joshua helps his his friend, Isaac’s family find a way to make a living by creating a chocolate house. Discuss the questions in the activity guide (scroll down).