28 Hanukkah Facts That Shed Some Light On This Beautiful Holiday (2024)

ADVERTIsem*nT

#1

The First President To Celebrate Hanukkah At The White House Was Harry Truman

He accepted a Menorah in 1951 as a gift from Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion.

#2

Hanukkah Is Not The Most Important Jewish Holiday

Rosh Hashanah and Passover are actually considerably more important to Judaism than other Jewish holidays.

#3

Hanukkah 2022 Begins At 18th And Ends On 26th Of December

Beginning on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, Hanukkah2022 begins at nightfall on December 18, 2022 and ends withnightfall on December 26, and will last for eight days.

#4

Hanukkah Was Once Celebrated By An Astronaut In Space

While on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1993 to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, Jeff Hoffman brought a travel-sized menorah and spun a dreidel. His mini Hanukkah celebration was broadcastedvia satellite to people on Earth.

#5

"The Chanukah Song"by Adam Sandler Is Arguably The Most Well-Known Hanukkah Song Today

His 1996 comedy album, "What the Hell Happened to Me?", featured the song after it appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1994. The song spawned a part 2 in 1999, a part 3 in 2002, and a part 4 (which includes a Drake shout-out!) in 2015 from the same artist. Any Jewish child who grew up in the 1980s or 1990s will likely credit a Rugrats Chanukah as the other incredibly influential piece of popular culture.

ADVERTIsem*nT

#6

The Torah Doesn't Mention Hanukkah At All

Hanukkah and the events that led up to it are not mentioned in the Torah since the Maccabean Revolt took place after the Torah was written, according to History.com. Rosh Hashanah and Passover, which are Jewish holidays, are usually more important.

#7

There Is A Reason Why Hanukkah Dishes Are Fried

When you consider the foods eaten during Hanukkah, most of them are fried, including latkes, sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), apple fritters, and kugel. It's not a coincidence that during Hanukkah, people fry their meals in oil as a representation of the miracle oil that lasted for eight nights without burning out.

#8

There Is No "Wrong" Way To Spell Hanukkah

Hanukkah, Hannuka, Chanukah, and a variety of other spelling variations have all been used to refer to this holiday. All of the spellings are correct, though Hanukkah is the most widely used. It could be spelled in a number of ways, all of which are equally correct, because there is no direct way to convert the Hebrew sounds to English.

ADVERTIsem*nT

#9

Hanukkah Is An Eight-Day Celebration Of The "Miracle Of The Oil"

On each night of the holiday, one additional candle (starting from the right side) is lit from the center "Shamash" candle, according to Chabad. In total, 44 candles are lit throughout Hanukkah, but most Hanukkah candle packages for your menorah will come with eight.

ADVERTIsem*nT

#10

The Word Hanukkah Means "Dedication"

The celebration honors the success of a group of rebel Jewish fighters known as the Maccabees in taking back their temple from the Greek-Syrians.

#11

Hanukkah Lasts For Eight Nights To Represent How Long The Sacred Light Burned

The Jews barely had enough oil for one night, but the temple had to have a sacred light burning within at all times. Amazingly, the light lasted for eight days.

#12

A Menorah Is Lit Each Night Of The Holiday

A candelabra with nine candles is known as a menorah. There are four on either side and a candle in the middle that will light up all the other candles. The shamash is this, and it is situated above (or strangely apart from) the other candles.

#13

The Dreidel Is Based On A German Gambling Game

Starting around the 16th century, a spinning top with letters printed on its side was played in both Germany and England. In order to interact with the Torah, European Jews adopted the game and used Hebrew characters in place of the German and English ones. The dreidel is now used all through the holiday season.

ADVERTIsem*nT

#14

The Largest Menorah In The World Is Allegedly Located In Grand Army

This year, from December 2 to December 9, you can watch the lighting of the Menorah, which stands 32 feet high and weighs 4,000 pounds.

#15

During Hanukkah, Israel Consumes About 18 Million Jelly Donuts

Many festival delicacies are cooked in oil to celebrate the miracle of the oil lasting eight days, especially: the beloved sufganiyot (or jelly donuts).

#16

The Word "Hanukkah" Comes From The Hebrew Word "Hinuch," Or "To Teach"

On this holiday, Jews have a custom of giving their kids gelt, or golden-wrapped chocolates that resemble coins, as a reward for learning the Torah. A game of dreidel is another way to win gelt.

#17

The National Menorah Is Lit Every Year In Washington D.C.

Also, you need a cherry picker to reach the top because it is 30 feet tall!

#18

Main Dish For Hanukkah Is Named Latkes

Shredded or mashed potatoes are shallow-fried to create latkes, also known as potato pancakes. Although latkes are a traditional Hanukkah dish, there is still a lot of room for innovation. Here are some ideas for modernizing this traditional recipe.

ADVERTIsem*nT

See Also on Bored Panda

19 Haunting Pictures That Showcase How The Most Beautiful Places Can Change After Being Abandoned

Mom Demands Her Whole Family Be Upgraded To First Class, Forcing 13-Year-Old To Give Up His Seat, But Gets Deplaned Instead

#19

The Letters On The Dreidel Are An Acronym

The Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hay, and shin on the dreidel stand in for more than just the rules of the customary top-spinning Hanukkah game. In actuality, they are employed as an abbreviation for "nes gadol hayah sham," or "a great miracle happened there," a Hebrew expression used to explain the miracle of the oil's endurance.

#20

For Hanukkah, Presents Weren't Always Exchanged

Giving money to one another for Hanukkah used to be traditional. But as Christmas gained popularity, an increasing number of Jews started exchanging gifts.

#21

The Popular Dreidel, Often Known As A Four-Sided Spinning Top, Was Created As A Distraction

Jewish studies were forbidden by the Greek-Syrians, so they pretended to be playing games while studying their Torah by spinning dreidels.

#22

Hanukkah Can Align With Other Holidays

Hanukkah doesn't fall on the same day each year since the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar. The celebration always begins on the 25th of Kislev, which corresponds to November or December on the Gregorian calendar, the same time as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

#23

"I Have A Little Dreidel" Was Written By The Brother Of Another Famous Jewish Composer

Samuel E. Goldfarb, whose family has substantially influenced contemporary Jewish music, wrote the most well-known Hanukkah song in the English language, "I Have a Little Dreidel." The tune for "Shalom Aleichem," a traditional Shabbat hymn, was written by his brother, Rabbi Israel Goldfarb.

ADVERTIsem*nT

See Also on Bored Panda

50 Frightening Pics That Make Us Want To Stay As Far Away From The Ocean As Possible (New Pics)

"Lost In History": 50 Pictures That Might Change Your Perspective On The 20th Century (New Pics)

#24

It's Possible That The First Hanukkah Was Just A Delayed Sukkot Celebration

According to My Jewish Learning, they were unable to observe the eight-day holiday of Sukkot during the Maccabean Revolt. As a result, the celebration was delayed until after Jerusalem was retaken and the Temple was purified. In reality, Sukkot is a very significant Jewish holiday that is marked by food, prayers, and festivities.

#25

The "Maccabee Bar," A Hanukkah-Themed Pop-Up Bar, Debuted In Boston In 2018

In the Somerville neighborhood in 2019, Bar made a second appearance. With their own versions called "8 Crazy Nights" and "Get Lit," respectively, Chicago and Austin, Texas, also joined the party. Sadly,Pop-ups have mainly been eliminated for 2020 due to the coronavirus epidemic.

#26

A Hanukkah Bush Is Not Actually A Thing

Nevertheless, a lot of Jewish kids get to decorate these tiny trees because our parents feel horrible that all of our non-Jewish peers get to do so. It's a particularly North American practice, and rabbis typically forbid it.

#27

Apart From Tuesdays, Hanukkah Can Begin On Any Day Of The Week

To avoid falling on the Shabbat, Jewish festivals like Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah can only fall on specific days of the week. Hanukkah has fewer restrictions, though, and according to Chabad, it can start on any day of the week besides Tuesday. Cheshvan, the month that comes before Kislev, can have either 29 or 30 days, which explains why.

#28

The Traditional Hanukkah Lamp Has Different Names, Depending On Where You're From

While, in the United States, it's most commonly referred to as a menorah, the traditional Hanukkah candelabra is called different things depending on where your ancestors hail from. For example, Jews of Central or Eastern European call it "Ashkenazi" and descendants of Jewish communities in the Middle East from biblical times into the modern era - "Mizrahi". and etc.

Justina Čiapaitė

Justina is a SEO list curator at Bored Panda with bachelors degree in photography. As she is interested in different cultures and countries, dreams of being a travelling street photographer one day. Or, in the other case, a travelling wedding photographer.

Sometimes, when inspiration strikes, she likes to draw (mostly people) or play music (on piano). Has an unpredictable taste in films, TV series and music - likes to experience all kinds.

Loves and hates being alone at the same time, so she keeps a little fish called Indigo, and strongly believes it was a human in a past life. Problem solved.

Justė Kairytė - Barkauskienė

Justė is a copywriter here at Bored Panda, and though her studies at the Veterinary Academy seemingly have nothing to do with writing, the passion for animals and nature helps in creating the most interesting and engaging posts. She also works with Search Engine Optimization, so you could find Bored Panda's articles easier.

Justė's not only an avid equestrian, but she's also a walking encyclopedia. Ask her anything!

POST

POST