How Hanukkah Works
- The Hanukiyah. Shamash is the name of the candle that is used to light all the other candles in the Menorah. ...
- The Dreidel. The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side. ...
- Hanukkah Gelt. The chocolate coin may have sprung from Europe in the 19th century when Jews there were very involved in making chocolate.
- Hanukkah Foods. ...
What is the difference between a hanukiah and a menorah?
The difference between the Hanukkiah and the (Temple) Menorah lies in the number of candles each holds as well as the purpose and time of year each is used. The Hanukkiah is a type of menorah or candelabra that holds 9 candles and has 8 branches. The Menorah is a similar candelabra with branches. However, it is a 7-lamp candelabra with 6 branches.
Why is work allowed on Hanukkah?
Working on Chanukah. Work is permitted on Chanukah but eulogies and fasting are prohibited all eight days. If a scholar dies, though, he may be eulogized during Chanukah. The Maharil writes that it is a tradition that no work is done while the Chanukah lights are burning. An allusion to this can be found in the name of the holiday: Chanukah ...
What is the blessing of Hanukkah?
Hanukkah blessings are traditionally sung in Hebrew. On the Friday that falls during Hanukkah, the Hanukkah candles are lit and blessed before the Sabbath candles are lit and blessed. The Hanukkah holiday celebrates the victory of the Jews over a tyrant and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
What foods do Hanukkah people eat?
What to Eat and Enjoy on Hanukkah
- Food and Jewish Holidays. ...
- Fried Foods and Dairy as Part of Hanukkah Celebrations. ...
- Latkes (Potato Pancakes) Latkes, one of the best known of all Hanukkah foods, can be made in many different ways. ...
- Hanukkah Jelly Doughnuts (Sufganiyot) Sufganiyot are deep-fried jelly doughnuts eaten for dessert. ...
- Bumuelos. ...
- Blintzes. ...
- Brisket. ...
- Kugel. ...
- Challah Bread. ...
- Tzimmes. ...
See more
What are the rules of Hanukkah?
HanukkahCelebrationsLighting candles each night. Singing special songs, such as Ma'oz Tzur. Reciting the Hallel prayer. Eating foods fried in oil, such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods. Playing the dreidel game, and giving Hanukkah geltBegins25 KislevEnds2 Tevet or 3 Tevet11 more rows
How do Hanukkah gifts work?
Gift-giving is a relatively new tradition during Hanukkah, so when bringing gifts, don't go overboard. Books, jewelry, and food can be appropriate Hanukkah presents. Family gifts are always appreciated. You can create personalized puzzles with family portraits or pictures of the grandkids.
What happens on each day of Hanukkah?
Candles are placed in a menorah (sometimes a hanukkiah), with the number of lights increasing each night. On the first night, one candle (plus a “helper” candle called the shammash) is lit. On the second night, two candles plus the shammash are lit. That continues until nine candles are blazing on the final night.
What are the 8 days of Hanukkah for?
Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew. The eight-day holiday celebrates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it was retaken by the Maccabees, a group of Jewish warriors, from the Greeks in the 2nd century BCE, as explained by Tablet magazine.
What are 3 traditions of Hanukkah?
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.
What are 3 interesting facts about Hanukkah?
Hanukkah: 8 facts to know about the holiday, from the menorah oil to the history and foodHanukkah lasts for eight nights to commemorate how long the holy light burned. ... A menorah is lit each night of the holiday. ... The word 'Hanukkah' means 'dedication' ... The many spellings. ... The dreidel is based on a German gambling game.More items...•
How do Beginners celebrate Hanukkah?
0:141:56How to Celebrate Hanukkah - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipStep 2 on the first night place one candle in the farthest right holder. And light it with theMoreStep 2 on the first night place one candle in the farthest right holder. And light it with the shamash on the next night add a second candle to the left of the first one lighting the newest one first.
What are 4 popular foods at Hanukkah?
Hanukkah FoodsBrisket. Brisket is enjoyed during many Jewish holidays besides Hanukkah, such as Rosh Hashanah and Passover. ... Latkes. Latkes, also known as potato pancakes, are made from shallow-fried shredded or mashed potatoes. ... Kugel. ... Sufganiyot. ... Hanukkah Gelt.
Why do we give gifts on Hanukkah?
“[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.
How many days do you get gifts for Hanukkah?
eight daysDon't give your Hanukkah gift on Christmas: It's important to honor the eight days of Hanukkah and give your Hanukkah gifts during that window of time.
Do you get gifts for Hanukkah?
“It's not historically part of Hanukkah at all.” In that, gift-giving on Hanukkah is not unlike gift-giving on Christmas — it has little, if anything, to do with the religious requirements of the celebration.
Why do you give gifts on Hanukkah?
Therein lies the short answer to your question: The “tradition” of giving presents during Chanukah was provoked by the long shadow that Christmas casts over Jewish homes. And nowhere is this shadow longer and darker than in America, where holiday gift-giving is a national obsession.
What's a good Hanukkah gift?
Ideas include gold gelt coins (traditional chocolate coins in gold foil), a dreidel and handwritten blessings to say as the Hanukkah candles are lit. Top your gift jar with festive blue and silver ribbon.
What do you bring to a Hanukkah party?
Your host might appreciate gifts of chocolate, gourmet applesauce, candles, books or board games. Susan Landon, a Mercer Island resident who frequently hosts events, offers some don'ts for Hanukkah guests: Don't ask the hosts or their children if they wish they could have a Hanukkah bush or stockings.
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusale...
Where is Hanukkah celebrated?
Hanukkah is celebrated around the world, wherever there are Jewish people. In Israel Hanukkah is a national holiday, and students present plays, si...
Why does Hanukkah last for eight days?
According to the Talmud, when Judas Maccabeus entered the Second Temple of Jerusalem, he found only a small jar of oil that had not been defiled by...
How is Hanukkah celebrated?
Hanukkah is celebrated in several ways. In addition to lighting each day one candle on the menorah, religious rituals can include daily reading of...
Why is Hanukkah important?
In North America especially, Hanukkah gained increased importance with many Jewish families in the latter part of the 20th century, including among large numbers of secular Jews, who wanted a Jewish alternative to the Christmas celebrations that often overlap with Hanukkah. Diane Ashton argues that Jewish immigrants to America raised the profile of Hanukkah as a kid-centered alternative to Christmas as early as the 1800s. This in parts mirrors the ascendancy of Christmas, which like Hanukkah increased in importance in the 1800s. During this time period, Jewish leaders (especially Reform) like Max Lilienthal and Isaac Mayer Wise made an effort to rebrand Hanukkah and started creating Hanukkah celebration for kids at their synagogues, which included candy and singing songs. By the 1900s, it started to become a commercial holiday like Christmas, with Hanukkah gifts and decorations appearing in stores and Jewish Women magazines printing articles on holiday decorations, children's celebrations, and gift giving. Ashton says that Jewish families did this to maintain a Jewish identity distinct from mainline Christian culture, but on the other hand the mirroring of Hanukkah to Christmas helped Jewish families and kids feel American. Though it was traditional among Ashkenazi Jews to give "gelt" or money to children during Hanukkah, in many families this has been supplemented with other gifts so that Jewish children can enjoy gifts just as their Christmas-celebrating peers do. Children play a big role in Hanukkah, and Jewish families with children are more likely to celebrate it than families without, and sociologists hypothesize that this is because Jewish parents do not want their kids to be alienated from their peers who celebrate Christmas. Recent celebrations have also seen the presence of the Hanukkah bush, which is seen as a Jewish counterpart to the Christmas tree. Hanukkah bushes are generally discouraged today by most rabbis, but some Reform, Reconstructionist and more liberal Conservative rabbis do not object, even to Christmas trees.
What is the meaning of Hanukkah?
The name "Hanukkah" derives from the Hebrew verb " חנך ", meaning "to dedicate". On Hanukkah, the Maccabean Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple.
How many candles are lit on Hanukkah?
Each night, one additional candle is lit by the shamash until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival. Other Hanukkah festivities include singing Hanukkah songs, playing the game of dreidel and eating oil-based foods, such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods.
How many nights does Hanukkah last?
It is also known as the Festival of Lights ( Hebrew: חַג הַאוּרִים , ḥag ha'urim ). Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.
What is Hanukkah in Hebrew?
Hanukkah ( / ˈhɑːnəkə /; Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה, Modern: Ḥanukkáh, Tiberian: Ḥanukkāh; usually spelled חֲנוּכָּה , pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew, [ˈχanukə] or [ˈχanikə] in Yiddish; a transliteration also romanized as Chanukah, Ḥanukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Hanuka) is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. It is also known as the Festival of Lights ( Hebrew: חַג הַאוּרִים , ḥag ha'urim ).
Where is Chanukah in Germany?
Chanukah Menorah opposite Nazi building in Kiel, Germany, December 1932. Hanukkah festival at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, December 2019. Public Hanukkiah lighting in Brussels next to the Berlaymont building, the headquarters of the European Commission, 2020. Hanukkah celebrated in the Polish Sejm, Warsaw.
Where is the story of Hanukkah?
The story of Hanukkah is preserved in the books of the First and Second Maccabees, which describe in detail the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the lighting of the menorah. These books are not part of the canonized Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) used by modern Jews, though they were included in the Greek Septuagint. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches consider them deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament.
What are the traditions of Hanukkah?
Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, traditions include lighting the candles of the Hanukiyah; playing with a dreidel; eating potato pancakes or "latkes" and sufganiyot, jelly doughnuts fried in oil; and exchanging Hanukkah money or "gelt" in Yiddish.
How many nights does Hanukkah last?
Hanukkah is an eight-night celebration, and the celebration includes lighting a candle in the Hanukiyah (in English-speaking countries this is often called a Menorah, which is the Hebrew word for a candelabra) on each day of the holiday.
How many candles are lit on Hanukkah?
The Hanukiyah holds nine candles, eight representing the eight nights of the holiday plus the Shamash -- this candle is used to light the other candles. The first candle is lit on Erev Hanukkah, the night before the holiday starts.
What does the left candle mean in Hanukiyah?
Blessings are said while someone lights the candles from left to right. According to tradition, the left-most candle represents the most recent day of the miracle, and one lights this candle first because he is most thankful that the oil lasted yet another day. As each day passes, the Hanukiyah becomes brighter and brighter.
What is the meaning of the seven branched menorah?
It stands for light, wisdom, and divine inspiration. The nine branched menorah, called a Hanukkiah, is for use during Hanukkah only.
When do Jews celebrate Hanukkah?
Every year, usually in mid- to late-December on the Western calendar , Kislev 25 on the Hebrew calendar, Jews around the world celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah. Also know as the Festival of Lights, the holiday remembers one particular instance of triumph over religious persecution, when the Jews were able to escape oppression at the hands of Antiochus, a Syrian king.
What do the eight candles in the Menorah symbolize?
The eight candles in the menorah symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern stayed lit on one bottle of oil (which should have only lasted one night). The ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others.
What is the significance of 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. Although not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, Hanukkah came to be widely celebrated and remains one of the most popular Jewish religious ...
What is the most important thing to do on Hanukkah?
The most important of all is the lighting of the menorah, a candelabra with eight branches plus a holder for the shammash (“servant”) candle that is used to light the other eight candles.
What did Judas do after he won the Temple?
Following his victory in a three-year struggle against Antiochus, Judas ordered the cleansing and restoration of the Temple. After it was purified, a new altar was installed and dedicated on Kislev 25.
What is the Jewish festival of lights called?
Uncover the history of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. Learn about the history of Hanukkah. Hanukkah, (Hebrew: “Dedication”) also spelled Ḥanukka, Chanukah, or Chanukkah, also called Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights, or Feast of the Maccabees, Jewish festival that begins on Kislev 25 (in December, ...
What are some nonreligious traditions?
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.
Where is the Hanukkah lamp?
Hanukkah lamp from Brody, Galicia (now in Ukraine), 1787; in the Jewish Museum, New York City. There are also a number of nonreligious customs associated with Hanukkah. Potato pancakes (latkes), doughnuts ( sufganiyot ), and other treats fried in oil, which recall the miracle of the oil, are popular.
Where is Hanukkah celebrated?
Hanukkah is celebrated around the world, wherever there are Jewish people. In Israel Hanukkah is a national holiday, and students present plays, sing holiday songs, and have parties. Schools are closed, and menorahs are displayed atop such prominent buildings as Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.
What is Hanukkah about?
Hanukkah celebrates the Maccabees’ rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its defilement by the Syrian Greeks in 164 BCE. According to rabbinic tradition, the holiday also commemorates the miracle of the oil: one day’s supply of oil for the Temple’s lamp lasted eight days. Some people see Hanukkah as a celebration of religious freedom, whereas others see it as a triumph of tradition over assimilation. For many people, it is simply an opportunity for festivity during the darkest time of the year, the winter solstice.
Why does Hanukkah last eight days?
There are two explanations for the eight-day length. One is that Hanukkah commemorates not just the Maccabees’ victory and rededication of the Temple, but the miracle of the oil: one day’s supply of oil for the Temple lamp lasted eight days. Another explanation is that the first Hanukkah celebration was actually a delayed Sukkot celebration, and Sukkot — which, like Passover, is a pilgrimage festival — traditionally lasts eight days.
How do you pronounce Hanukkah?
English speakers generally pronounce it HAH-nuh-kuh. However, some people prefer the Israeli pronunciation, which is khah-new-KAH.
Why does Hanukkah fall on a different date each year?
Hanukkah always falls on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which usually is sometime in December. Because the Jewish calendar is a combination of solar and lunar, the date on the Gregorian calendar fluctuates each year .
Is the candelabra lit on Hanukkah called a menorah or a hanukkiah?
A hanukkiah is a candelabra specifically for use on Hanukkah. However, many people call it a menorah or Hanukkah menorah — you usually can tell from context when a person is referring to a Hanukkah candelabra and not a general lamp.
Why do Jews play dreidel on Hanukkah?
There are different explanations for this tradition, but historians believe the dreidel is an adaptation of another top-spinning game that Europeans played at Christmas time.
Do Jews traditionally exchange gifts on all eight nights of Hanukkah?
Actually, exchanging gifts on Hanukkah is a relatively new tradition. American Jews used to exchange gifts on Purim, but in the late 19th century there was a shift from Purim to Hanukkah. Christmas, which falls at the same time of year, became a national holiday in America at this time, and the Jewish custom of gifts on Hanukkah shifted as the Christian holiday’s consumerism grew. When it comes to how many gifts to exchange and when, families have different traditions. Many people prefer to limit the gift exchange to just a few nights, in order to de-emphasize the materialistic aspects of the holiday.
Why is Chanukah important to women?
The reason for particular emphasis of Chanukah observance on the part of women, is that a harsh decree had then been issued against the daughters of Israel: The Greeks ordained that every girl who was to be married was to be brought first to the Greek ruler.
Do women work during Chanukah?
Among some Sephardic communities, women refrain from work all day during Chanukah. In other communities, this custom is followed only on the first and last days.
Can you work on Chanukah?
Work is permitted on Chanukah but eulogies and fasting are prohibited all eight days. If a scholar dies, though, he may be eulogized during Chanukah.
Introduction
Hannukah, or Chanukah, is one of the staples of the Jewish calendar. This eight-day celebration marks the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Typically starting in December, the Festival of Lights is always celebrated on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar.
How Hanukkah Gift Giving Works
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.
Hanukkah Gift-Giving Etiquette
So, what are the dos and don’ts for traditional Hanukkah gifts for adults and children? Let’s walk through Hanukkah gift-giving etiquette to make sure that your gifts are received well at the next Festival of Lights.
Traditional Hannukah Gifts
Figuring out what is a traditional Hanukkah gift, and which day to gift it can be difficult for those new to the holiday. Remember, the golden rule is that the holiday is about spending time with family rather than breaking the bank.
Day One
Start Hanukkah with traditional gifts. The beginning of Hanukkah is an exciting time when everyone gets into the spirit of the holidays.
Day Two
Puzzles and games are a great way for families to come together. Invest in a large jigsaw that the whole family can participate in. Purchase some old childhood classics, such as Monopoly, Clue, and Candy Land. These gift ideas are a great way to spend an evening.
Day Three
Day three is a good time to bring some books. Traditional Hanukkah gifts are often highly personalized to the receiver’s tastes.
Overview
Rituals
Hanukkah is celebrated with a series of rituals that are performed every day throughout the eight-day holiday, some are family-based and others communal. There are special additions to the daily prayer service, and a section is added to the blessing after meals.
Hanukkah is not a "Sabbath-like" holiday, and there is no obligation to refrain fr…
Etymology
The name "Hanukkah" derives from the Hebrew verb "חנך", meaning "to dedicate". On Hanukkah, the Maccabean Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple.
Many homiletical explanations have been given for the name:
• The name can be broken down into חנו כ״ה, "[they] rested [on the] twenty-fifth"…
Historical sources
The story of Hanukkah is preserved in the books of the First and Second Maccabees, which describe in detail the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the lighting of the menorah. These books, however, are not a part of the canonized Masoretic Text version of the Tanakh (Hebrew and Aramaic language Jewish Bible) used and accepted by normative Rabbinical Judaism and therefore modern Jews (as copied, edited and distributed by a group of Jews kno…
Story
After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, Judea became part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt until 200 BCE when King Antiochus III the Great of Syria defeated King Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt at the Battle of Panium. Judea then became part of the Seleucid Empire of Syria. King Antiochus III the Great, wanting to conciliate his new Jewish subjects, guaranteed their right to "live ac…
Customs
A large number of songs have been written on Hanukkah themes, perhaps more so than for any other Jewish holiday. Some of the best known are "Ma'oz Tzur" (Rock of Ages), "Latke'le Latke'le" (Yiddish song about cooking Latkes), "Hanukkiah Li Yesh" ("I Have a Hanukkah Menorah"), "Ocho Kandelikas" ("Eight Little Candles"), "Kad Katan" ("A Small Jug"), "S'vivon Sov Sov Sov" ("Dreidel, Spi…
Dates
The dates of Hanukkah are determined by the Hebrew calendar. Hanukkah begins at the 25th day of Kislev and concludes on the second or third day of Tevet (Kislev can have 29 or 30 days). The Jewish day begins at sunset. Hanukkah dates for recent and upcoming:
• Sunset, 22 December 2019 – nightfall, 30 December 2019
• Sunset, 10 December 2020 – nightfall, 18 December 2020
Symbolic importance
Major Jewish holidays are those when all forms of work are forbidden, and that feature traditional holiday meals, kiddush, holiday candle-lighting, etc. Only biblical holidays fit these criteria, and Chanukah was instituted some two centuries after the Hebrew Bible was completed. Nevertheless, though Chanukah is of rabbinic origin, it is traditionally celebrated in a major and very public fashion. The requirement to position the menorah, or Chanukiah, at the door or window, symboli…