Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight day Jewish holiday celebrated around the world in December. Hanukkah marks the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BC. On this day, Jews commemorate the miracle of a small flask of oil that miraculously lasted for eight days lit by a menorah or Hanukkiah. Hanukkah traditions center around prayers, food and gift giving. So what do you do on each day of Hanukkah?
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Day One of Hanukkah
On the first day of Hanukkah, families gather together to light the Hanukkiah. The Hanukkiah consists of a central or shamash candle and eight other candles representing the eight days of Hanukkah. Starting with one on the far right, the shamash is used to light one candle each night of Hanukkah throughout the eight nights. After lighting, family members join in some seasonal prayers.
The Blessing
The blessing for the candles is:
- Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Haolam – “Blessed are You, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe
- asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav – “Who has sanctified us with His commandments”
- v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah– “and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Chanukah”
Games
After the prayers, it is custom to play some traditional Hanukkah games such as dreidel or spinning a top. The traditional dreidel is a four-sided top with each side usually inscribed with a Hebrew letter.
Day Two of Hanukkah
On day two of Hanukkah, the same rituals–lighting the candle and saying the traditional blessings–are done. After the prayers, family members can continue with some traditional games.
In addition to the dreidel games, some families like to play the guessing game. Parents or grandparents give children one or more Hanukkah gifts, take turns being the giver and the guessers while each child takes turns opening a Hanukkah gift.
Day Three of Hanukkah
On day three of Hanukkah, again the same ritual of lighting the candle is done. Depending on the family’s custom, they may recite all the blessings that they have said up until day three or simply only say the blessings for lighting the candle for day three.
After the prayers, families can continue with more traditional games.
On the third night, families might gather to fry the traditional Hanukkah foods – latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly filled doughnuts). The smell of the fried treats signals that the Festival of Lights has arrived.
Throughout the eight days of Hanukkah, the same holiday rituals are repeated – lighting a candle on the menorah, reciting the blessings, and playing traditional Hanukkah games. Each night of the Holiday marks a special day of celebration. Although the customs vary from family to family, the joy of the Festival of Lights is celebrated with family and friends in prayer and delicious treats.
Hanukkah remains a strong tradition for Jews today as a reminder of the miracle of the oil that kept the Temple lit and supported the celebration of freedom. Whether the festivities are spent in joyous gatherings or just among close family, the Festival of Lights is bound to bring smiles and traditions that will last a lifetime.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.