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Celebrating Hanukkah

Falling on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew lunar-solar calendar, Jews take eight days to celebrate Hanukkah, otherwise known as the festival of lights. 

Translating to dedication in Hebrew, Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of a menorah staying lit for eight days on one day worth of oil. 

In Israel, Hanukkah is a national holiday, with schools closed and menorahs displayed atop prominent buildings. The main event during Hanukkah in Israel is the relay from Modi’in to Jerusalem, where runners carry a burning torch. The torch is used by the chief rabbi to light the first candle of a giant menorah at the West Wall. 

The Jewish community in the western-world have plenty of religious and non-religious traditions for celebrating Hanukkah. We’ve listed a few of these traditions and what they symbolise to Jews. 

The Menorah

Menorah Candles on Dinner Table

One of the key parts of celebrating Hanukkah is the lighting of a menorah. A menorah is a candelabra consisting of nine candleholders to be lit over the eight nights of the holiday. 

It signifies the menorah that stayed lit for eight days from only one day’s worth of oil after the Jews liberated Jerusalem from the Greeks. 

The eight candles are used to symbolise each day the menorah miraculously stayed lit, with the ninth, named the shamash, being the helper candle used to light the other candles each day.

On the first night of Hanukkah, two candles are lit, with the first being the shamash and the other symbolising the first day. 

The story of the menorah is where Hanukkah gets the name of the festival of light.

Gifting

Gelt

Whilst Hanukkah doesn’t have a huge tradition of gift giving, thanks to its placement so close to the Christian holiday of Christmas, many Jews decide to give gifts during the holiday. 

Gelt (small chocolate coins covered in gold foil) or real money is a traditional Hanukkah gift. Typically a child will receive one coin on the first day of Hanukkah, two on the second day, and so on. This comes to a total of 36 coins otherwise known as double chai (life) in Hebrew. 

Prayers

Praying in Jerusalem

As with any religious celebration, reciting prayers is a common practice during Hanukkah. Three blessings are commonly sung in Hebrew during the lighting of the menorah. 

Reading of Scripture, recitation of some of the Psalms, almsgiving, and singing hymns are all ways people celebrate Hanukkah

Praying, reading, and singing during Hanukkah all lead back to the dedication shown by those who liberated Jerusalem, and proves the dedication the Jewish community still hold.

Traditional Food

Sufganiyot

It is common to indulge in traditional Jewish foods over Hannukah, some of which pay homage to the story of Hannukah.

A lot of these treats are fried in oil, which is symbolic of the oil that kept the menorah burning in the story of Hanukkah. Latkes (potato pancakes) and Sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts) are both popularly consumed during this time. 

 

Non-religious Celebrations

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Whilst Hanukkah is a huge celebration for the Jewish community with many religious traditions, the festival of lights also has some non-religious traditions too. 

Non-religious traditions include making festive meals, singing songs, playing games (such as cards and dreidel), and giving gifts.

It’s not a true celebration without some decorations, check out our range of Hannukah decorations, partyware and cards to celebrate the festival of lights in style.