As we settle into December, we get more excited about seasonal beverages, snow and spending the holiday season with our family and friends. This time of year is often associated with Christmas, but Hanukkah, a Jewish Holiday is also celebrated around this time.
Hanukkah can be spelled a variety of ways such as Hanukah, Chanukah, Hanukkah, and Chanukkah. You may see many different spellings of Hanukkah since Hanukkah is a Hebrew word and the English translation is just a transliteration of the Hebrew word. In addition to various acceptable spellings, you may notice that Hanukkah falls on a different day each year.
Hanukkah always starts on the 25th day of the month Kislev according to the Hebrew Calendar. The Hebrew calendar is different from the traditional calendar we use. It is based on lunar months. Since the calendar is based on lunar months, Hanukkah can fall anytime in November-December on our traditional calendar.
Hanukkah is often known as a holiday centered around 8 days of presents. However, the eight nights of Hanukkah actually represent the miracle of the lights surrounding the reclamation of the Jewish temple.
The story begins when the ruler of the Syrian kingdom, Antiochus Epiphanes IV, and his army vandalized the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was destroyed. In a few years, the Jewish people put together an army led by Judah Maccabee and were able to reclaim the temple. The story continues when a tiny jar of oil was found and used to light the temple while the area was cleaned up. There was enough oil to provide only enough light for one day. However, the light lasted eight full days. The miracle of Hanukkah is how long the light lasted. However, it is argued that the true miracle of Hanukkah is the amazement that such a small army was able to defeat the vast Syrian army.
Since the oil is such a pivotal part of the Hanukkah story, the Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah with foods fried in oil! We celebrate with fried potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts, that are known as sufganiyot. Check out this recipe for easy-to-make sufganiyot! Making potato pancakes is always a fun tradition, but from personal experience, it can be very time consuming! Try out this recipe! If you want to celebrate Hanukkah without cooking, these food items can be easily purchased at any grocery store.
Another popular Hanukkah tradition is playing the game of dreidel. A dreidel is 4-side spinning top, each with a different Hebrew letter on it. The letters are the start of different Hebrew words and when the phrase is put together it stands for “a great miracle happened there.” When playing the game, there is a pot of candy, coins, or whatever your family chooses to use. The game players take turns spinning the top. Depending on which letter it lands on, that is the action that player must take. The different letters represent winning everything in the communal pot, winning half, having to give up some winnings from your own pile or not having to take any action. This game is often played with Hanukkah gelt, or chocolate coins. In Israel, the dreidel’s 4th Hebrew letter is different than in other countries for the phrase to translate as “a great miracle happened here.”
Hanukkah is a fun holiday whether or not 8 days of presents are exchanged. Every family has their own traditions around the holiday, but most will light the menorah, specifically called the Chanukiah for 8 days, each day adding an additional candle to be lite. Like all Jewish holidays, family and tradition are at the core of this holiday.
