Hanukkah: Celebrate All Eight

The holiday season is upon us and for approximately 0.2% of people in the world, Hanukkah is the holiday to celebrate. This year's holiday began Thursday, December 7th, when the sun went down and ended with the final night on Friday, December 15th.

The Jewish holiday celebrates a miracle of light and the Maccabees' commitment to maintaining tradition. The Maccabees were a group of Jews fighting against their Syrian oppressors and one night they found that the army had destroyed their temple and there was only enough oil to light their menorah* for one night. The holiday celebrates the miracle that allowed the oil to last eight nights, rather than just one. 

Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting the shamash as well as the number of candles that correspond with the numerical night from left to right on the menorah. The menorah is displayed in the window and burns while Jewish children play dreidel. Dreidel is a game where a top is spun and the side that lands in the air has a Hebrew letter on it that tells them how much of the “pot” they earn. The pot is made up of either coins or gelt, which are chocolate coins that they earn and give away as the dreidel decides their fate.

Traditional Hanukkah foods include anything fried in oil, to celebrate how long the oil had lasted. Sufganiyot, or jelly-filled donuts, are a popular dessert eaten during Hanukkah. A savory favorite is latkes, or potato pancakes, which are also popular during the holiday; many people dip them in sour cream or applesauce!

Hanukkah is an important holiday celebrated by some students and staff at our school. By learning about the traditions and costumes, we can all come together and celebrate the history and meaning behind this special holiday.

*The Hanukkah menorah holds 9 candles, 8 in a row with the ninth raised. The raised candle is called the shamash and is used to light all of the other candles.