▷ What Are Hanukkah Traditions?

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrated to commemorate the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It is observed around the world and holds a great deal of significance for Jews, as it celebrates the miracle of one day’s worth of oil lasting eight days. Each of the eight nights of Hanukkah brings with it its own traditions, so read on to learn more about what Hanukkah traditions are and how you can celebrate the Festival of Lights.

Celebrating the Festival of Lights

One of the most celebrated Hanukkah traditions is the lighting of the Menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum which is lit every night of the holiday. It is customary to use olive oil to fill a bowl and light the shamash (servant) candle, which is then used to light the other candles of the Menorah throughout the eight nights of Hanukkah. The first night of Hanukkah is traditionally the leftmost candle, and the following days the candles are lit from right to left. Each night all the candles except the first one are lit and a special blessing is said.

Traditions of Gifting, Eating, and Playing

Gifts, or gelt, are presented from parents to children, or from one guest to another as a sign of appreciation. The most common gifts on Hanukkah are toys and books, but it can also be money enclosed in a fancy coin box.

The traditional food of Hanukkah is latkes – fried potato pancakes – and jelly donuts. Latkes are served with applesauce or sour cream while the jelly donuts are traditionally filled with raspberry or strawberry jelly.

During Hanukkah, families usually gather together to play a game of dreidel. A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side. Players start with a certain amount of candy, chocolate coins, or nuts, as well as an equal portion shared among all players.

The Significance of Hanukkah

As previously mentioned, Hanukkah is a holiday about the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. After the Maccabean revolt, a group of Jews called the Macabees fought to regain their freedom from Greek occupancy and to restore the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Once they had recaptured the Temple they re-dedicated it and found only enough olive oil to light the menorah for one night, yet miraculously it burned for eight. This is where the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah originates from.

To this day the Festival of Lights is a time where Jews and non-Jews commemorate the miracle and celebrate with special Hanukkah traditions.

Hanukkah is an important holiday that celebrates the miraculous victory over the Greek-Syrians and the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. People hold close the traditions of lighting the menorah, giving gifts, eating latkes and jelly donuts, and playing Dreidel as part of celebrating the festival of lights. Hanukkah is a great opportunity for people of all backgrounds to come together to celebrate and remember the importance of the holiday.

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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.