what are 3 interesting facts about hanukkah

19 Interesting Facts About Hanukkah

• 1. A Celebration of Victory Over Syrians A Depiction of Hanukkah Celebration in Older Days ...
• 2. No Mention in the Jewish Bible ...
• 3. No Songs Please! ...
• 4. Germans Have a Different Tradition ...
• 5. Christmas For Children ...
• 6. At the Center of the Festival is a Miracle ...
• 7. Lit Candles For the Miracle ...
• 8. One Candle for One Night ...

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What is so special about Hanukkah?

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.

Why is it called 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.

What is Hanukkah facts for kids?

Hanukkah Facts for KidsHanukkah is celebrated for eight nights.Presents weren't always given during Hanukkah.The dreidel was invented as a distraction.Most traditional Hanukkah foods are fried.The dreidel is Yiddish.There are about 16 different ways to spell Hanukkah.The Menorah is actually a Hanukkiyah.More items...•

Who celebrates Hanukkah facts for kids?

Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, a holiday honoring the Maccabees's victory over King Antiochus, who forbade Jews to practice their religion. Hanukkah is celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev (the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar), which is generally in late November to mid-December.

How old is Hanukkah?

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

Who created Hanukkah?

Hanukkah began in Israel over 2,000 years ago. According to Jewish tradition, Israel was ruled during the second century B.C. by a Syrian-Greek people called the Seleucids. The Seleucids practiced a form of Zoroastrianism, and they wanted the Jews to adopt their religion and culture.

What are 3 Hanukkah traditions?

Hanukkah is celebrated in several ways. In addition to lighting each day one candle on the menorah, religious rituals can include daily reading of Scripture, recitation of some of the Psalms, almsgiving, and singing of a special hymn.

Do you fast on Hanukkah?

(Though it might not seem that way based on U.S. popular culture, Hanukkah is actually one of the least important.) The holiday is inseparable from its 25-hour fast, which also prohibits drinking water — even the water used for brushing one's teeth.

Is Hanukkah only for kids?

Traditionally, there is a special game that children and adults play together. It involves a spinning top called a dreidel, which is a cube-shaped dice with a Hebrew letter on each of the four sides.

How many candles are lit for Hanukkah today?

Jewish families celebrate this holiday by lighting a special Hanukkah menorah, a candelabrum with holders for 8 candles, one for each day of celebration, plus a ninth, the shammash or “server”, used to light the others during Hanukkah.

What type of holiday is Hanukkah?

The Jewish holiday lasts for eight nights, usually falling in November or December. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that takes place usually in November or December and lasts for eight nights.

Is Hanukkah a big holiday?

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.

How did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah?

He spoke of knowing His sheep and following His voice on a day that celebrated the return to the Torah. From its inception, Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, is a time and season for rededication to God.

Can you say Happy Hanukkah?

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.

What is the meaning of the 7 candle menorah?

The seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp. The menorah also symbolizes the creation in seven days, with the center light representing the Sabbath.

What do the Hanukkah candles mean?

The centerpiece of the Hanukkah celebration is the hanukkiah or menorah, a candelabra that holds nine candles. 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.

How many days is Hanukkah?

Happy Hanukkah, one and all! The Festival of Lights is almost upon us, but what exactly is the Jewish holiday? We’re glad you asked! The eight-day celebration commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred in the second century B.C. after the Maccabees revolted following its desecration by their Syrian-Greek oppressors.

What does "Hanukkah" mean in Hebrew?

These are all English transliterations for the Hebrew word, which means as long as you’re pronouncing it right, you’re A-OK. 2. The word "Hanukkah" translates to dedication, which also helps explain the holiday.

Why was Hanukkah delayed?

According to My Jewish Learning, they couldn't properly celebrate Sukkot, an eight-day holiday, during the Maccabean Revolt. Because of this, the celebration got delayed until after the Temple was repurified following Jerusalem’s recapture. Sukkot is actually a very important Jewish holiday that includes feasting, prayers and festivities.

Why is Hanukkah not mentioned in the Torah?

Those would be the High Holy Days: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In fact, Hanukkah isn’t even mentioned in the Torah. This is really because the whole miracle thing hadn’t happened yet, but it is mentioned in the New Testament when Jesus takes part in the "Feast of Dedication."

How many candles are in a menorah?

On Hanukkah, we use a version of a menorah called a Hanukkiah that holds nine candles. Eight arms represent each night of the holiday, while the ninth is the shamash, or the main candle that lights the others.

What do you eat on Hanukkah?

15. It's traditional to eat jelly donuts called sufganiyot during Hanukkah, as fried foods are another way to represent the oil that is so important to the holiday. It’s also nearly impossible to let the holiday go by without eating latkes, or potato pancakes. In Israel, 17.5 million donuts are said to be eaten over the course of Hanukkah.

How many loaves of challah bread are in a kit?

This challah bread kit comes with pre-measured dry ingredients to make eight loaves.

What are some interesting facts about Hanukkah?

30 Amazing Facts About Hanukkah That'll Make Your Holiday Bright. The Festival of Lights is pretty complex. Here are all the facts you need to know about Hanukkah! By Sarah Crow. December 16, 2019. By Sarah Crow. December 16, 2019. Each year, millions of Jews around the world gather with friends and family to celebrate Hanukkah, ...

How long does Hanukkah last?

But what else do you know about Hanukkah? Sure, you probably know it lasts eight nights —but do you know why? Well, it's a commemoration of the Jews' revolt against the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes, during which one day's worth of oil burned for eight nights for the Jewish warriors, called the Maccabees.

Why does Hanukkah move around?

That's because the holiday begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar—which doesn't completely line up with the Gregorian one—thus accounting for the holiday jumping from date to date in the fall and winter.

How long after the first Hanukkah was written did it happen?

According to Chabad, the events that took place on the first Hanukkah occurred nearly 1,000 years after the torah was written. "It is a Rabbinic holiday," explains Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin, MS, LCPC, a certified Imago therapist and co-founder of The Marriage Restoration Project.

What are latkes made of?

7. Before latkes were made out of potatoes, they were made out of cheese. Shutterstock.

Why do people eat donuts on Hanukkah?

5. Donuts are eaten on Hanukkah to recall the original miracle that the holiday commemorates. Shutterstock.

Why did Germans reject potato pancakes?

It wasn't until the 1840s that the tradition of potato latkes caught on—and only following a crop failure that lessened the availability of grain and made potatoes a more common food throughout Europe.

When is Hanukkah celebrated?

As the lunar and solar calendars aren't in sync, Hanukkah can fall any time from late November to late December.

Why is Hanukkah called Hanukkah?

The Festival of Lights uses candles to honor and celebrate that rededication. In the Hebrew language, Hanukkah refers to "dedication".

What is the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah?

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians and the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem during the second century B.C.

What color socks are used for Hanukkah 2019?

On the first night of Hanukkah 2019, NASA astronaut Jessica Meir tweeted a photo of her feet in some nontraditional but festive blue, neon green, and purple socks. It’s not always usual that a Hanukkah greeting comes from 408 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

How to spell Hanukkah in English?

There are many variations of how to spell the holiday's name in English, including Hanukkah, Hanukah, Hannukah, Chanukah, or Chanukkah. Since Hanukkah is originally a Hebrew word and there is no accurate way to directly translate the Hebrew sounds to English, as long as you’re pronouncing it right, you’re OK.

Why do we light Chanukah candles?

The Chanukah candles should be lit right after nightfall because their purpose is to bring light into darkness. However, they need to be lit early enough so that people will be able to see them – reminding others of the great miracle of Hanukkah.

How long did the Maccabees burn the menorah?

When the Maccabees relit the menorah at the Second Temple, they thought that they only had enough oil to burn the candle for one night. But miraculously, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to reclaim the temple.

Why is Hanukkah so popular?

Some say Hanukkah gained popularity in the late 1800s among American Jews because of the season in which it falls – usually around Christmas. Hanukkah always begins on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. The corresponding Gregorian date varies.

When was Hanukkah first celebrated?

Hanukkah made its first appearance at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 1951, when Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion gave Harry Truman a menorah as a gift. In 1979, Jimmy Carter became the first American president to recognize the holiday publicly by speaking at a candle-lighting event hosted by Chabad Lubavitch.

What is the difference between a menorah and a hanukkiyah?

The menorah is a seven-branched candelabra used in synagogues. The hanukkiyah is a nine-branched candelabra used during Hanukkah. Because the hanukkiyah can also be called a Hanukkah menorah, confusion often sets in.

How many candles are in a box of Hanukkah candles?

There are at least 44 candles in each box of Hanukkah candles, enough for one person to light the hanukkiyah (see item six on this list) according to tradition every night. Some boxes include extra candles as they tend to break easily.

When was the first Hanukkah party?

The first official White House Hanukkah party was held on December 10, 2001. President George W. Bush borrowed a 100-year-old hanukkiyah from the Jewish Museum in New York for the event. Since then, the White House Hanukkah party has been a coveted get-together.

Who hosted a Hanukkah party in 1991?

Ronald Reagan often spoke about the holiday and George H.W. Bush attended a Hanukkah party for staff in the Executive Office Building, in 1991. Two years later, Bill Clinton hosted a candle-lighting ceremony in the White House with his staff.

Did the Greeks forbid Jews from learning Torah?

Get your spinning finger ready: It’s time to remember when the Greeks were in town and forbade Jews to learn Torah. Tradition holds that kids used to meet up in secret to learn, but if a Greek soldier happened upon their meeting they would pretend to be gambling with their dreidels.

What is the meaning of Hanukkah?

1 What is Hanukkah? The word Hanukkah means "dedication. ". The holiday commemorates the triumph of a band of rebel Jews known as the Maccabees in reclaiming their temple from the Greek-Syrians.

How long does the light of Hanukkah last?

2 Hanukkah lasts for eight nights , to commemorate how long the holy light burned. The temple required a holy light to burn inside at all times, but the Jews had only enough oil for one night. Incredibly, the light burned for eight days.

Why do people fry their food for Hanukkah?

This isn’t a coincidence, people fry their food in oil for Hanukkah as a symbol for the miracle oil that burned for eight nights straight.

How many candles are in a menorah?

A Menorah is a candelabra with nine candles. Four on either side and a candle in the center intended to light all the others. This is known as the shamash and it sits higher than (or somehow apart from) the other candles.

How many jelly donuts are consumed in Israel?

11 Over 17.5 million jelly donuts are consumed in Israel throughout Hanukkah. To celebrate the miracle of the oil lasting eight days, many of the holiday's festive foods are prepared in oil, particularly: the family favorite sufganiyot (or jelly donuts).

Where did the word "hanukkah" come from?

12 The word "hanukkah" comes from the Hebrew word "Hinuch," or "to teach.". Getty Images. Jews follow a tradition of incentivizing their children to learn Torah on this holiday by gifting them gelt, or golden-wrapped chocolates that resemble coins. Gelt can also be won in a game of Dreidel!

Which holiday is more important to the Jewish religion?

Jewish holidays like Passover and Rosh Hashanah are actually much more significant to the religion.

What is the significance of Hanukkah?

Hanukkah means “dedication” and is a holiday that honors and celebrates one of the first recorded fights for religious freedom and the success of this fight.

Why is Hanukkah lit first?

This candle is lit first and used to light the other candles. Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah doesn’t fall on the same date every year. This is because the Jewish calendar is lunisolar (based on the Sun and Moon) and doesn’t follow the standard Gregorian calendar.

Why is Hanukkah considered a minor holiday?

However, some Rabbis argue that the only reason it’s a “minor” holiday is because this holiday does not require major restrictions on people’s behavior and eating habits.

What is the only gift given on Hanukkah?

The only traditional gift of Hanukkah is “gelt, ” small amounts of money.

How many candles are on the Menorah?

There are actually nine candles on the Menorah, (also referred to as Hanukiah) even though there are only eight days of Hanukkah. The ninth candle is called the “shammus,” and is supposed to be at a different height than the others. This candle is lit first and used to light the other candles.