▷ What Do You Celebrate On Hanukkah?

Hanukkah, a Jewish festival of lights, is celebrated every year in the month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. It is a time of joy and spiritual renewal that often involves family gatherings and the giving of gifts. On Hanukkah, we celebrate a miracle that happened over 2,000 years ago. This miracle of the oil lamps, or the Festival of Lights, holds a special place in Jewish history, and is marked by eight nights of lighting a special menorah or candelabra with nine branches.

Hanukkah is an important holiday that commemorates an ancient miracle that reminds us of the power of faith, courage, and tradition. It is a joyous occasion of family gatherings, communal singing, lighting the menorah, making and eating latkes, giving gifts, playing games, spinning the dreidel, and much more.

Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day holiday in the Jewish month of Kislev on the Hebrew Calendar. Its primary observance is the lighting of a menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum with eight branches. Each night of Hanukkah, an additional branch is lit with a special ritual. In addition to the lighting of the candles, the holiday’s observance includes a variety of religious and communal activities.

Lighting of the Hanukkah Candles

The centerpiece of Hanukkah observance is the lighting of the Hanukkah candles. On each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, a new candle is lit after dark. The Menorah is traditionally placed in the open door or window of the home so that it can be seen by passers-by. The first candle is lit on the first night, the second on the second night, and so on until all eight candles are lit on the eighth night.

The Story of Hanukkah

The Hanukkah story is told to children of all ages and is a reminder of the power of faith and tradition. It is the story of a small band of Jews who faced a much larger force of Greeks who wanted to destroy their culture and beliefs. The Hanukkah story teaches that, in a time of great peril, courage and faith can triumph over evil and the oppressors.

Other Traditional Customs and Activities

In addition to the lighting of the candles, Hanukkah observance includes a variety of activities. These include:

Singing Songs: Singing of songs is a popular Hanukkah tradition. Popular Hanukkah songs include “Maoz Tzur” and “Rock of Ages”.
Eating Latkes: Latkes are a traditional Hanukkah dish of potato pancakes fried in oil which symbolize the oil that burned for eight days.
Playing Dreidel: The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, each side marked with a Hebrew letter and these letters forming the acronym “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham,” which means “a great miracle happened there.” Players spin the dreidel and based on how it lands they either win or lose tokens such as coins, chocolate coins, or nuts.
Giving gifts: On each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, small gifts are often given to family members, particularly to children.
Making the Menorah: Families may choose to make their own menorah to represent their own love and faith.

Hanukkah is a time to celebrate a miraculous event that happened over two thousand years ago, and to remember the resilience of the Jewish people in the face of extreme adversity. For eight nights, families gather together in celebration, lighting the menorah, eating traditional foods, singing joyous songs, playing games, and sharing gifts with each other. On Hanukkah, we make time to remember the miracles of our past, and to bring joy and light into our homes.

Related Products:

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