Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is the Jewish eight-day festival of rededication, also known as the Festival of Lights. Celebrated starting on the 25th day of the month of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, it is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays. It is celebrated with various traditions that change over time, but the main focus remains the same since it commemorates the Maccabean victory and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE. As it is now celebrated in different ways all over the world, there can be confusion on proper spelling of Hanukkah. In fact, there are three accepted spellings: Hanukkah, Chanukah, and Chanuka.
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is the Jewish celebration of a miraculous event in the 2nd century BCE. It is an eight-day long holiday, and the way it is celebrated varies from region to region. This is partially because the spelling of Hanukkah is not uniform either – the accepted spellings of Hanukkah with alternate variations include Hanukkah, Chanukah, and Chanuka.Hanukkah – חנכה
The traditional spelling of Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew name of the holiday, חנכה. The spellings with the “C” and the “K” come about when the transliteration of the Hebrew letter ח (called “chet”), which is not found in English, is written with the letter “C”. When it appears single like this, it is pronounced like the English letter “C” or like a “K” in some dialects.
Chanukah – חנוכה
When the letter ח appears at the end of a word, it is written as a “K”, and pronounced like a “K”. This spelling is pronounced “Khanookah” and is transliterated as “Chanukah”.
Chanuka – חנוכה
The spelling “Chanuka” is a further variation of this. In this spelling, the “K” is dropped, and the “H” is not pronounced. This spelling is written with an “A” at the end, like “Chanuka”. It is pronounced the same way as the spelling that has a “K”, except without the emphasis on the “K” when it is delivered as a vocalization.
These three spellings of Hanukkah are all legitimate, and as it is an important holiday in many Jewish communities around the world, it is celebrated in a multitude of ways, both through its name and its traditions. Whether it is spelled Chanukah, Chanuka, or Hanukkah, the celebration of the Maccabees’ victory and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem will continue to bring people together all around the world for this special holiday.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.