Hanukkah: What You Need to Know

Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. It’s an 8-day celebration that takes place during winter. The holiday commemorates the dedication of the Second Temple after it was reclaimed from the draconian King Antiochus by Jewish forces called the Maccabees. King Antiochus had tried to force Jews to worship Greek Gods and desecrated the Temple.

To rededicate the Temple, the Jews needed to light a 7-branched menorah commonly used at the time and keep it lit—but there was only enough oil to keep the flames burning for one night. Miraculously, the oil lasted until the Jews could get more oil, eight days later.
Hanukkah celebrates both the victory of the Maccabees over King Antiochus and the miracle that a small amount of oil lasted for eight days. Because the start of Hanukkah is pegged to the Hebrew calendar, it can fall anywhere between late November and mid-December.

Did you know?: In English, Hanukkah is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for the holiday, so Hanukkah can be spelled in over a dozen ways, including Chanukah and Hanukah.

Although Hanukkah is widely celebrated by most modern Jews, it's a minor holiday in Judaism. Unlike more significant Jewish holidays, there are no religious mandates associated with Hanukkah; instead, traditions have sprung up organically among Jewish communities over time.

The holiday has taken on outsized importance because of its proximity to Christmas, and its popularity grew as Jews emigrated and became more assimilated with their Christian neighbors. Because of this, traditions and practices surrounding the holiday vary.

Most families celebrate Hanukkah at home. Typically, there are not large festivals or dinners associated with Hanukkah, although some Jews attend parties with extended family and friends where they exchange gifts, eat food fried in oil, and light the menorah together. Some synagogues and Jewish schools also hold community-wide celebrations.

Lighting the menorah: The most significant Hanukkah tradition is lighting the menorah. A menorah, sometimes called a hanukkiah, is a candelabra with nine candle holders. One candle holder, placed slightly higher than the others, is reserved for the Shammah. The Shammah is the “helper candle” that lights the other candles.

During Hanukkah, the Shammah is used to light an increasing number of candles as the holiday progresses. On the first night of Hanukkah, Jews light one candle with the Shammah, on the second night they light two and so on until all eight candles are lit on the last night of Hanukkah. The candles are left to burn throughout the night.

Lighting the menorah commemorates the oil in the Temple that lasted for eight nights. Early menorahs used oil instead of candles, but they fell out of favor over the years. Today, menorahs can take just about any form, from traditional gold to dinosaur themed and everything in between. Most families use a single menorah but in some families each person lights their own.

Playing dreidel: A dreidel is a 4-sided spinning top used for a betting game played during Hanukkah. Children typically play dreidel, although grown-ups can get in on the action too. Each side of the dreidel has a different Hebrew letter: Nun, Gimel, Hey, and Shin. The letters form an acronym for a Hebrew phrase that means "a great miracle happened there."

Players spin the dreidel until it falls over, revealing one of the dreidel’s four letters. Depending on the letter that is face-up when the dreidel stops, the player either puts tokens into the pot or takes some out. Once a player runs out of tokens, they’re out of the game.

Decorating with blue and white: Blue and white are the traditional colors of Hanukkah. Many Jews decorate their homes with these colors to mark the holiday.

Giving gifts: Traditionally, Hanukkah was not a gift-giving holiday. However, it has become one because it’s celebrated so close to Christmas. Children typically receive one gift each night of Hanukkah, which they open after the menorah has been lit. Since gift giving on Hanukkah is a relatively new introduction to the holiday there are no rules other than those that families create for themselves.

As Jewish children get older, some parents opt to give their child one large gift instead of eight smaller ones. If money is given as a gift, it is typically in increments of $18. That’s because the number 18 corresponds to the word for “life” in Hebrew and is considered good luck. Some adults also choose to exchange gifts on Hanukkah.

Latkes: It wouldn’t be Hanukkah without these small, fried potato pancakes. Latkes are made from shredded potatoes and eggs that are formed into thin patties and then fried in oil. The oil used to make latkes is significant in Jewish culture because it represents the Temple oil that burned for eight nights. Latkes are usually eaten with applesauce, sour cream, or both. Sometimes Latkes are served as a side dish, but they can be a complete Hanukkah meal on their own.

Sufganiyot: These light, jelly-filled donuts topped with powdered sugar are a tasty Hanukkah treat. Just like latkes, sufganiyot are fried in oil. Because this specialized pastry is hard to make and can be hard to find, many Jews eat other, more easily available types of donuts instead.

Chocolate Gelt: Hanukkah Gelt is chocolate shaped like coins of varying sizes, usually wrapped in gold foil. Gelt is usually sold as a set in mesh bags and given to children during Hanukkah. There are several theories about how this tradition started. One is that chocolate Gelt is a nostalgic reminder of the tips Jews would often give to workers including their butcher or teachers at the end of the year. Another theory is that after the Jews defeated King Antiochus, they minted their own coins to celebrate.