Christmas seems to be everywhere around this time of year — from music on the radio to store displays to TV commercials. Does everybody celebrate Christmas? Not quite!
According to a 2019 survey from AP-NORC, 92% of Americans celebrate Christmas, a Christian holiday in observance of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. But that doesn’t mean you should discount the 5% of Americans (about 15,000,000 people) who celebrate Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, a Jewish holiday commemorating faith and religious freedom.
For Jewish kids and families, this time of year focuses on light overcoming darkness. To help you understand Hanukkah, its history, and how it’s celebrated, we put together a guide to the winter holiday:
When is Hanukkah celebrated?
Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev and lasts for 8 days.
The Jewish calendar is a lunarsolar calendar, which means it is based on the phases of the moon. The modern calendar used by most countries of the world, the Gregorian calendar, is a solar calendar, meaning it is based on Earth’s rotation around the Sun.
Because the date of Hanukkah is according to the Jewish calendar, its date on the Gregorian calendar changes yearly, and the beginning of Hanukkah can range from November to December.
In 2024, Hanukkah begins on December 25th.
What does Hanukkah celebrate?
Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, celebrates the rededication of an important holy temple, meaning it was cleansed and renewed.
In 175 B.C., more than 2,000 years ago, King Antiochus IV, who ruled over Judea, forbade Jews from practicing their religion. He wanted them to worship Greek gods, so he destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem by replacing the Jewish symbols with an altar to Zeus, the king of the Greek gods.
The Maccabees, a group of Jewish rebels led by Judah Maccabee, revolted against the king and defeated him in 164 B.C. When they returned to their holy temple, there was just one small jar of oil — only enough to light the sacred candles for one day. To rededicate the temple, they needed to light the candles for 8 days.
According to the Talmud, one of Judaism’s holy texts, a miracle occurred, and the oil burned for 8 days. Hanukkah commemorates this event and celebrates hope and perseverance.
How is Hanukkah celebrated?
Lighting a menorah
In honor of the miracle of oil burning for 8 nights, Jews celebrating Hanukkah light a menorah every night at sundown for 8 nights.
A menorah is a special candleholder with 9 branches: one for each night of Hanukkah, plus one for the shamash. The shamash, which means “helper” in Hebrew, is lit first and used to light the other candles.
On the 1st night of Hanukkah, one candle is placed in the menorah along with the shamash. The candles stay lit for about half an hour before being extinguished. On the 2nd night, 2 candles (plus the shamash) are placed and lit. This pattern continues for 8 days, until the final night of Hanukkah when a total of 9 candles are placed in the menorah and lit. New candles are used every night, so to light a menorah for 8 nights, you need 44 candles.
Each night, the candles are placed in the menorah from right to left (the direction Hebrew is read in). However, the lighting of the menorah moves in the opposite direction, from left to right.
Before lighting the candles (but after placing them in the menorah), Jewish families recite special blessings. After the lighting, many families exchange gifts and take part in other Hanukkah activities like playing dreidel and eating special food.
Traditionally, the lit menorah is displayed in a window or other prominent place to share the miracle of Hanukkah with the world.
Playing dreidel
According to folklore, the dreidel game was created as a way for Jews under King Antiochus IV’s rule to study their religion in secret after it had been outlawed.
A dreidel is a 4-sided spinning top. Each side is marked with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet: nun (נ), gimmel (ג), hay (ה), or shin (ש).
Players have tokens or coins called gelt, and spinning the dreidel determines whether they get to take gelt from the collective pot or have to put their own in. Children often play dreidel using chocolate coins as gelt.
The letters on the dreidel also form the acronym for the Hebrew saying, “Nes gadol hayah sham,” which means, “A great miracle happened there,” referring to the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days.
*To create your own dreidel, check out our Hanukkah Dreidel Cut, Build, & Play Activity!
Eating traditional foods
Celebrations include making and eating dishes cooked in oil, commemorating the miracle of the oil. The two main foods enjoyed on Hanukkah are latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts).
What is the correct spelling of Hanukkah?
You may see the holiday name spelled as “Hanukkah,” “Chanukah,” “Hanukah,” or various other ways. There is no single correct spelling because the name is translated from a Hebrew word (חנוכה).
Hebrew uses a different alphabet than English, so translators have had to interpret the word based on how it sounds. “Hanukkah” is currently the most widely used spelling, while “Chanukah” is a more traditional spelling.
Hanukkah is a powerful reminder of the importance of community and strength in the face of adversity. We hope this guide has helped you appreciate the celebration and reflect on its message of resilience. Happy Hanukkah!
