Traditions
- Menorah. The most important of all Hanukkah traditions is the lighting of the menorah each evening. ...
- Liturgy and prayers. The Hanukkah observance is also characterized by the daily reading of Scripture, recitation of some of the Psalms, almsgiving, and singing of a special hymn.
- Nonreligious traditions. ...
- In Israel. ...
What are activities that they do in Hanukkah?
Hanukkah activities for preschoolers and toddlers. 1. Make a sensory menorah for toddlers, says author Aviva Brown. Image via Aviva Brown. 2. Make recycled dreidel paper dolls. 3. Practice writing the Hebrew letters that appear on the dreidel: nun, gimmel, hei, and shin. 4.
What is Hanukkah and why do we celebrate it?
What is the Story of Hanukkah?
- The Temple is defiled. Antiochus Epiphanes, after defeating Ptolemy the king of Egypt, attacked Israel and defiled the Temple.
- Matthathias and his sons fight back. By this time, Mattathias, a priest, and his five sons – Joannan, Simon, Judas also known as Maccabeus, Eleazar, and Jonathan, had to do ...
- Hanukkah is established. ...
What are some things people do for Hanukkah?
While some give a number of gifts each night, many choose a slightly different approach:
- Many families give Hanukkah gelt on the first day of Hanukkah. Gelt is foil-wrapped chocolate money which often comes in a gold-colored mesh bag. ...
- Some families give money rather than gifts for Hanukkah. ...
- Many families give small gifts on each of the first seven nights of Hanukkah, with a single large gift given on the last day of the holiday.
What are some special things about Hanukkah?
🕯️ 11 Holy Facts about Hanukkah
- Why do people celebrate Hanukkah? Hanukkah commemorates the triumph of a small group of Jews known as the Maccabees who fought against the Greeks. ...
- Oil is very significant. To celebrate their victory, they lit an oil lamp. ...
- The Menorah is an important fixture. ...
- It’s a lot of family fun. ...
- Oil has a firm place in the cooking, too! ...
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What happens on each day of Hanukkah?
Each night, one additional candle is lit by the shammash 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.
What are 5 traditions of Hanukkah?
These five elements are part of traditional Hanukkah celebrations.Light the Menorah. The centerpiece of the Hanukkah celebration is the hanukkiah or menorah, a candelabra that holds nine candles. ... Sing Songs. ... Yummy Fried Treats. ... Spinning Tops. ... Gold Coins.
What activities are done on Hanukkah?
Hanukkah Activities and Games for the ClassroomSpin the Dreidel Game. The dreidel game is a classic Hanukkah tradition. ... Build Your Own Menorah. ... Read Hanukkah Books. ... Hanukkah Acrostic Poems. ... Seleucid Empire vs. ... Writing Prompt. ... The Eight Days of Hanukkah. ... Create Paper Dreidels.More items...•
What are the 8 days of Hanukkah for?
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.
What do you do on the 1st day of Hanukkah?
The first day of Hanukkah is the start of a celebratory period in which a four-sided toy called dreidel is used for games. The first night of Hanukkah is also a night when people sing traditional songs to celebrate Hanukkah. Gift-giving is also popular at this time of the year.
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 games do they play at Hanukkah?
6 Hanukkah Games Every Kid Will LoveSimplified Dreidel. The dreidel is a must for any Hanukkah party since it's the traditional game of the holiday. ... Gelt Lineup. Gelt, or money, is the traditional gift for Hanukkah. ... Gelt Checkers. ... Ring Toss on a Menorah. ... Find the Gelt.
How does Hanukkah work?
Hanukkah is an eight-night celebration. The Hanukkah celebration includes lighting the candles of 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, playing with the dreidel, eating latkes and exchanging Hanukkah gelt.
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.
What are 3 interesting facts about Hanukkah?
The holiday commemorates the triumph of a band of rebel Jews known as the Maccabees in reclaiming their temple from the Greek-Syrians.2 Hanukkah lasts for eight nights, to commemorate how long the holy light burned. ... 5 Hanukkah dishes are fried for a reason. ... 7 Hanukkah is not the most important Jewish holiday.More items...•
Do you say Happy Hanukkah?
To wish someone a Happy Hanukkah, say “Hanukkah Sameach!” (Happy Hanukkah) or simply “Chag Sameach!” (Happy Holiday). Or if you want to show off your Hebrew skills, say “Chag Urim Sameach!” (urim means “lights”). When is Hanukkah?
What are 3 interesting facts about Hanukkah?
The holiday commemorates the triumph of a band of rebel Jews known as the Maccabees in reclaiming their temple from the Greek-Syrians.2 Hanukkah lasts for eight nights, to commemorate how long the holy light burned. ... 5 Hanukkah dishes are fried for a reason. ... 7 Hanukkah is not the most important Jewish holiday.More items...•
What is the most important Hanukkah observance?
Lighting the Hanukkah candles To commemorate the oil that miraculously lasted for eight days, modern-day Jewish families recite blessings and light candles on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Candles are placed in a menorah (sometimes a hanukkiah), with the number of lights increasing each night.
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.
What do the 7 candles of Hanukkah mean?
The seven lamps depict the branches of human knowledge that are represented by six lamps inclined inwards towards, guided by, the light of God which is represented by the central lamp. The menorah also symbolises the creation in seven days, centre light representing the Sabbath.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 is the significance of Hanukkah?
Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 160s BC. After outlawing the Jewish religion and Jewish practices, then-King Anti ochus IV decreed that Jews must worship Greek gods in the Temple. Eventually, Jewish priest Mattahias, his son Judah Maccabee, and their army (creatively called The Maccabees) revolted, ultimately forcing Antiochus IV out of Judea. Maccabee and his followers reclaimed the Temple and rebuilt the altar.
How many nights does the Miracle of Hanukkah last?
Thus: the Miracle of Hanukkah. That’s why the celebration lasts eight nights. Although most people use the word menorah in the context of Hanukkah, what observers are actually lighting is called a hanukkiah (ha-noo-kee-ah). It looks very similar to a menorah with eight prongs, but has a ninth candle, the Shamash, used to light the other candles. ...
What is the meaning of the menorah in Hanukkah?
You may have heard Hanukkah referred to as “The Festival of Lights” and might already be familiar with a menorah. Menorahs have long been a symbol used in Judaism, and when the altar was rebuilt by Maccabee and co., part of that included relighting the menorahs.
When is Hanukkah in DC?
This year, Hanukkah will begin at sundown on December 22 and last until sundown on December 30.
What are the holy days of Judaism?
Often referred to as the High Holy Days, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) both in the fall, are considered two of the most sacred holidays.
Is Hanukkah a Jewish holiday?
Despite what some holiday movies will have you believe, Hanukkah is not the Jewish equivalent of Christmas , nor is it an insurmountably difficult holiday to learn about. If you’re curious, here are a few basic questions many non-Jews (and even some Jews!) have about the holiday:
Do Jews celebrate Hanukkah?
While for centuries many Jews have observed Hanukkah by lighting the hanukkiah, saying certain prayers, and eating certain foods, the all-out Hanukkah celebrations Americans are used to is a relatively new phenomenon.
What is Hanukkah?
The Jewish Festival of Lights commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees after it was destroyed by the Syrians. The eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights” is celebrated with nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods, according to chabad.org.
Hanukkah in 2021 dates
This year, Hanukkah is celebrated from Sunday, Nov. 28 to Monday, Dec. 6.
What is the significance of Hanukkah?
We are celebrating the triple miracles that occurred in 165 BCE when a small band of Jewish Maccabees defeated a massive Syrian Greek army sent to destroy the Jewish religion.
Why do we light candles on Hanukkah?
It is customary to light a candle for each of the eight days of Hanukkah because each day represents a new Sefira, a new level of unification we achieve above our egoistic desires with the help of the light that fills us.
How many candles do you need for Chanukiyah?
IF you light a candle chanukiyah/menorah, you have 1 candle for the first night, 2 for the second night, and so on—which adds up to 36. HOWEVER— you still need a shamash each night! 36 + 8 = 44.
How many candles are lit on the Menorah?
1) People light their menorah every night at or after sundown with the customary blessings and songs, adding one candle for every day until on the 8th evening 8 candles (or olive oil wicks) are lit. (On Friday afternoon, the menorah is lit earlier than on the other days.)
What is a nine branch menorah?
A nine branch menorah ( or an eight branch one with a separate extra light) must be candle or oil powered or battery, NOT electric. All the lights but one must be at the same height (There are a lot of non kosher hannukiot out there, manufactured for the Jewish market by non Jews who get it wrong) Nine tea lights on a plank will do at a push, eight white and one coloured would even do, the ninth one has to be distinguishable in some way from the other eight
Do you have to say Happy Hanukkah in Jewish law?
Jewish law never requires you to say “Happy Hanukkah.”
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…