Honey symbolizes families' hopes for a sweet life in the new year. On this day, the judgment made about each person on Rosh Ha-shanah is established for good in the Book of Life. Everyone, except the sick and children, stop eating at sunset of the following day and think about the meaning of Yom Kippur. At synagogue services, the story of Jonah, written in the Torah , is read to show that God will forgive people for their sins. On this holiday, one gives thanks for all things that grow and remembers the difficult escape from Egypt by Jews in Biblical times.
Children enjoy sitting inside and even having a meal there.
Fruit and cake are traditional. Gifts, candle-lighting, games, good food, and ceremony mark this special occasion. Hanukkah celebrates the reclaiming of the Jewish temple from the Syrians who worshiped Greek gods. The Syrian king had destroyed the Temple, killed Jewish people, and sold children into slavery. But one Jewish family, the Maccabees, cleverly defeated the Syrians.