8 Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah with Kids (2024)

FAQs

How to celebrate 8 days of Hanukkah? ›

Hanukkah celebrations revolve around a mix of prayers, games, food, songs, and of course, the lighting of the menorah! On each of the eight days of Hanukkah, one new candle will be lit on the menorah, until the final day when all eight candles are lit, symbolizing the eight days the flame lasted in the Holy Temple.

There are eight candles on a Hanukkah menorah. Each day—one by one—another candle is added, until all eight candles are lit. Prayers are typically said as the menorah is lit. After the menorah is lit, traditional Hanukkah songs are usually sung, followed by dancing, exchanging gifts, and eating lots of delicious food.

Learn the Story of Hanukkah - On the first night of Hanukkah, read the story of how the Jewish people revolted against the Greeks, won, and liberated Jerusalem. Jews lit the menorah with only one day's worth of oil, which miraculously lasted eight days, hence the Festival of Lights.

Eight of the nine branches hold lights (candles or oil lamps) that symbolize the eight nights of the holiday; on each night, one more light is lit than the previous night, until on the final night all eight branches are ignited.

While seven signifies the completion of the natural world, eight signifies going beyond nature and imbuing nature with sanctity, Soloveitchik said. Each night of Hanukkah and especially the eighth night presents a chance to rise above the ordinary, focus on the miraculous and connect with the divine.

Some nonreligious customs of celebration are eating treats fried in oil (which recalls the miracle of the oil), giving children gifts of money (Hanukkah gelt), and playing a game with a four-sided top called a dreidel.

The Hanukkah menorah is more accurately called a hanukkiyah. One additional oil wick or candle is lit each night to celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah.

How do you celebrate Hanukkah with candles? ›

On the first night of Hanukkah, there are usually only two candles on your hanukkiyah: the shamash in the center, and the first night's candle. Each night, add a new candle before lighting. Now, here's the tricky part: candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but candles are lit from left to right.

It establishes that Hanukkah was a recognized and celebrated event during the time of Jesus. It also suggests that Jesus, a practicing Jew, might have partaken in the celebrations. However, it's important to remember that the Bible does not explicitly state that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah.

The dreidel is a must for any Hanukkah party since it's the traditional game of the holiday. Older children can grasp the official rules of the game, but younger children might have more fun with a simplified version of the game.

Some more conservative Jewish communities prefer to avoid giving gifts and, instead, prefer to give money. They see the giving of gelt to be more authentically Jewish, but many Jews also choose to offer traditional Hanukkah gifts that support the holiday. There's no ceremony for giving gifts.

Gifts aren't historically part of Hanukkah, but just like other holidays, gift giving has become a modern tradition to celebrate this meaningful time of year, especially for children. Getting a special gift each night is fun and can also help teach kids more about their culture.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the larger Greek 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.