Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight day Jewish holiday that celebrates the Maccabees getting their temple back from the Greeks over 2,000 years ago. When they lit the menorah, they found one small jar of oil which they thought would only be enough for one night. However, there was a miracle—the oil burned for eight whole nights.
To remember this miraculous event, the Jewish people light one candle each night of Hanukkah. They say blessings, celebrate with foods fried in oil, sing songs, play games and have special family traditions. Hanukkah is a meaningful time for people who are Jewish to honor the miracle of the oil lasting for eight whole nights.
One of the most popular traditions during Hanukkah is to play dreidel. Dreidel is a game that uses four Hebrew letters: nun, gimel, hei and shin. At the start of the game, each person gets some chocolate coins and puts one coin in the center pot. Next, the players take turns spinning the dreidel and follow whatever letter it lands on.
When you spin Nun, you do nothing. This means when it’s your turn you don’t win or lose anything, and the next person spins the dreidel. Gimel means all, so you take all of the chocolate coins from the pot. Hei means half, meaning you take half of the pot. Shin means put in, you have to put one piece of your gelt into the pot. As the game continues, the amount of coins in the pot increases and decreases throughout each round you play. If the pot empties, every person adds a piece of gelt from their pile to keep the game going. You can play dreidel until you get bored of it, or until one person has all of the gelt.
In addition, one of the most popular foods to eat during Hanukkah is latkes. Latkes are crispy potato pancakes that are golden and crunchy on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. They are often topped with applesauce or sour cream for more flavor.
Another delicious Hanukkah food is sufganiyot. They are basically jelly donuts, and are usually filled with some sort of jelly or custard. They are covered in powdered sugar, and are also fried in oil.
Challah is popular to eat on Shabbat, and basically every single Jewish holiday, including Hanukkah. Challah is braided bread that is known for being soft and having a fluffy texture.
Kugel is another very popular Jewish food that is also served during Hanukkah. It can be sweet with cinnamon and raisins or a savory kugel, but most families make sweet kugel.
Chocolate gelt is what’s used to play dreidel. It’s chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. They are eaten for dessert, or while playing dreidel.
On Hanukkah, kids also receive presents. It’s not a main part of the holiday, but families in the United States celebrate by giving their kids presents. In Israel, giving presents for Hanukkah is not very common, it’s more about traditions, celebrating with family and friends and eating traditional Hanukkah foods.
Another fun part about Hanukkah is lighting the menorah and saying the prayers every night. The Shamash (the candle in the middle) is the helper candle that lights the other eight candles. Families also sing Hanukkah songs, and put their menorah’s near or in front of a window. Big family get-togethers are also a very important part of celebrating Hanukkah. Being near your loved ones and having a big dinner is a traditional part of the holiday. Families may also decorate their houses with blue and white lights, dreidels, Star of David decorations and other Hanukkah themed items.
Overall, Hanukkah is a fun holiday that is celebrated all around the world. It’s more than just eight nights of candles and presents, it’s also a holiday that brings families together through foods, repeated traditions and fun games. Hanukkah brings light, joy and connection to the people who celebrate it. Every night another memory is made and the traditions help the story of Hanukkah stay alive, and travel from generation to generation.
