Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish celebration that often falls at the end of November or the beginning of December. Commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem ending the Maccabean Revolt in the second century B.C., the festival involves lighting a special menorah, enjoying traditional holiday foods and playing a variety of games. But Hanukkah doesn’t last forever, so how many days do people get to celebrate?
Hanukkah lasts for eight days, meaning those who observe this holiday get eight chances to come together and recognize the importance of the Maccabean Revolt. During each of these days, a special menorah, or hanukiah, is lit. On the first night of the holiday, just one flame is kindled in the menorah, with an additional flame being added each night until the final night of the holiday, when all eight flames are lit.Table of Contents
What Is the Significance of the Menorah?
The increase of lights in the menorah marks the lengthening of days during the winter solstice when the holiday falls. According to Jewish tradition, the menorah also symbolizes the miracle of Hanukkah that as the Maccabees only had enough oil to light the most holy lamp in the Temple for one day, the flame remained for eight days until new oil was made.
What Do People Do During Hanukkah?
People observe Hanukkah with a variety of traditional activities. On each night of the holiday, a special set of blessings is said and the menorah is lit. In addition to lighting the menorah, families and friends get together to enjoy festive meals, exchange gifts, play a variety of games and sing traditional songs.
The Game of Dreidel
A popular Hanukkah game is the dreidel game. The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, each side of which has a Hebrew letter on it. Players take turns spinning the dreidel and depending on which letter lands face up, they get to take a certain number of coins from a shared pool.
Traditional Hanukkah Foods
Fried foods are also popular during Hanukkah, as they symbolize the miracle of the oil used to light the menorah. Latkes, which are potato pancakes, and sufganiyot, which are jelly filled doughnuts, and often served to recognize and celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah.
In summary, Hanukkah lasts for eight days, a time for Jews around the world to come together and remember the importance of their history and tradition. During this time a menorah is lit and traditional activities, including playing the Dreidel game and eating Latkes and sufganiyot, are enjoyed by people of all ages.
Hanukkah is a festive time for loved ones and communities to come together and celebrate in their own unique ways. As the days get shorter, Hanukkah is a great way to stay warm and joyous during this time of year.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.