8 Things You Should Know About Hanukkah (2024)

FAQs

What is the most important thing about Hanukkah? ›

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival.

Celebrate the festival of lights and stick to Hanukkah traditions to show your appreciation for the holiday. Take part in Chanukah traditions such as lighting the menorah, playing the dreidel game, eating gelt, cooking and baking delicious food, and enjoying the fun of Hanukkah gifts.

The nicknames for the holiday are also related to the origin story. Hanukkah is sometimes called the Feast of Dedication or, more commonly, the Festival of Lights (or Feast of Lights). This is a reference to the menorah (also called the hanukiah or chanukiah) at the heart of the Hanukkah story and celebrations.

Hanukkah is not some kind of Jewish Christmas. The holiday, which began this week, commemorates the rededication of the second temple of Jerusalem, where Jews, reclaiming the temple after a revolt, found a one-day supply of oil to light its menorah — and the supply lasted for eight nights.

What is Hanukkah? The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and this holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

But, while blue and white decorations are largely an American phenomenon and not part of the holiday's celebration elsewhere, the most common reason cited for the color choice is an international one: blue and white are the colors of Israel's flag.

Eight candles symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern blazed; the ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others. Families light one candle on the first day, two on the second (and so on) after sundown during the eight days of Hanukkah while reciting prayers and singing songs.

Hanukkah is celebrated on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, the Jewish calendar, which can be in early November or late December. During the Hanukkah holiday, families eat latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (round jelly doughnuts), and other foods to celebrate the miracle of the Festival of Lights.

One candle is lit on the first night of Hanukkah, and an additional candle is lit on each successive night, until, on the eighth night, the Chanukiah is fully illuminated. Hanukkah is also called the Feast of Lights or Festival of Lights due to the importance of the candle-lighting.

What do you wear for Hanukkah? ›

Although Hanukkah does not correspond to a specific traditional outfit, rule of thumb is to use a combination of blue and white colours in your dress or outfit. Colours blue and white hold a great symbolic significance to Jewish people.

Any animal that does not have cloven hooves or which does not chew its cud is forbidden to be eaten on Hanukkah. Such animals include camel, hyrax, hare, pig etc. Any product derived from a forbidden animal is also prohibited, including fat, organs, milk, meat and eggs.

Day One -- Traditional Gifts: Keep Hanukkah traditions alive by giving your children a dreidel, gelt -- chocolate coins are also perfectly acceptable -- or a menorah. Create lasting family memories by teaching your children the dreidel game and playing it together.

The traditional greeting for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in English is Happy Hanukkah. But this is not the only expression you can use to recognize the holiday or wish celebratory cheer.

In Jewish versions of the story, passed down orally through the centuries, Judith often became the aunt or daughter of Judah Maccabee, the hero of the Hanukkah oil story.

The most famous symbol of Hanukkah is the hanukkiah, the nine-branched candelabra which is lit each night, and can often be seen in house windows. Hanukkah celebrations are centred around lighting the hanukkiah, and families will gather to light the candles together.

There was only one small cruse of pure oil, enough to light the menorah in the Temple for one day. But it lasted eight days, in time to produce new pure oil and the menorah was able to remain lit and never burn out. This miracle is attributed to God and the faith that the Jews had in God.

“[Parents] saw that [giving gifts] was a way of creating joy around the time of Hanukkah,” Creditor says. “I think it wasn't to be like Christmas, it was so that Jewish children would have joy on Hanukkah.

What do you take to a Hanukkah dinner? ›

Traditional foods include potato latkes, applesauce and brisket. Spinning the dreidel (a four-sided top) for “Hanukkah gelt” (gold-wrapped chocolate coins) is another part of the celebration. Your host might appreciate gifts of chocolate, gourmet applesauce, candles, books or board games.

Hanukkah Colors: Blue and White

The obvious explanation for the association of blue and white with Hanukkah is that these are the colors on the Israeli flag.

On the first night of Hanukkah, place a candle in the holder on the far right, and light it with the shamash. Then put the shamash back in its spot (leaving it lit). On the second night, light the candle second from the right, then the candle on the far right, and replace the lit shamash.

Sure, blue and white are the designated colors for Hanukkah but that doesn't mean you can't add a little color into your holiday display. And by a little, we mean a lot. Whether your decorating style is rustic or contemporary (or something in between), these sleek and simple candles will look stunning once lit.

The number seven is said to symbolize completion, association with God, or the covenant of holiness and sanctification.

The seven candles of the Jewish menorah that burned in the Tabernacle symbolized the Creation and, according to the English scholar Robert Graves, may be connected to the seven planets of antiquity.

"Hanukkah" means dedication in Hebrew, and the Jewish holiday, also known as The Festival of Lights, represents joy. It's punctuated by an eight-night display of dancing flames atop candles held in intricate menorahs, conveying warmth, comfort, and a miracle.

Perhaps the most common traditional Hanukkah food found on the tables of Jewish families are potato pancakes, sometimes called latkes or levivot. Jews fill their holiday spreads with oil-fried foods during the holiday to commemorate the oil that lasted for eight days.

One of the most popular foods eaten during Hanukkah are latkes, which are fried potato pancakes. Some Jewish people eat latkes sweet, accompanied with apple sauce, while others prefer them savoury, served with sour cream.

First Day of Hanukkah 2023

The first day of Hanukkah marks the start of Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah or Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish observance that remembers the Jewish people's struggle for religious freedom. On the first day of Hanukkah, only the shammash and the first candle are lit.

What do you eat on the last night of Hanukkah? ›

Fried foods, like potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts, are prepared and eaten throughout the holiday to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah: oil that kept the menorah (an ancient lamp) lit for 8 days instead of the 1 day it was supposed to last.

Keep it Traditional

Traditional Hanukkah gifts such as gelt, or “coins” are often given during the Festival of Lights. Menorahs, dreidels, and candles come readily to mind, too. If you're looking for something traditional that isn't quite so personal, consider practical items for the home.

Eight candles symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern blazed; the ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others. Families light one candle on the first day, two on the second (and so on) after sundown during the eight days of Hanukkah while reciting prayers and singing songs.

Celebrated over eight days and nights, Hanukkah commemorates a people's uprising and holy miracle from more than 2,000 years ago.

There is no pork or shellfish allowed, and Jews will not mix meat and dairy in the same meal, so if a chicken is on the table, you won't find butter or cheese.

Although Hanukkah does not correspond to a specific traditional outfit, rule of thumb is to use a combination of blue and white colours in your dress or outfit. Colours blue and white hold a great symbolic significance to Jewish people.

The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the larger Syrian army. It also celebrates a miracle that happened during this time, where just a day's supply of oil allowed the menorah (Hanukkiah or Hanukkah Menorah) in the rededicated Temple in Jerusalem to remain lit for eight days.

What is the symbol of Hanukkah? ›

Hanukkiah

The most famous symbol of Hanukkah is the hanukkiah, the nine-branched candelabra which is lit each night, and can often be seen in house windows. Hanukkah celebrations are centred around lighting the hanukkiah, and families will gather to light the candles together.

Some say the candles represent the two commandments to 'remember' and 'observe' Shabbat. Just before Shabbat begins, two candles are lit marking the division between light and darkness described in the story of Creation and a blessing is recited, generally by the matriarch of the house.

The star was almost universally adopted by Jews in the 19th-century as a striking and simple emblem of Judaism in imitation of the cross of Christianity. The yellow badge that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi-occupied Europe invested the Star of David with a symbolism indicating martyrdom and heroism.

To Jewish people, however, Hanukkah isn't actually all that religious of a holiday –though because of its proximity to Christmas, it's often assumed the most important Jewish holiday.

But, while blue and white decorations are largely an American phenomenon and not part of the holiday's celebration elsewhere, the most common reason cited for the color choice is an international one: blue and white are the colors of Israel's flag.