Hanukkah

Hanukkah(/ˈhænəkə/,/ˈhɑːnəkə/;חֲנֻכָּה‎Ḥănukkālisten) is aJewish festivalcommemorating the recovery ofJerusalemand subsequent rededication of theSecond Templeat the beginning of theMaccabean Revoltagainst theSeleucid Empirein the 2nd century BCE.
Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days,starting on the 25th day ofKislevaccording to theHebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from November 28 to December 27 in theGregorian calendar. The festival is observed by lighting the candles of acandelabrumwith ninebranches, commonly called amenorahor hanukkiah. One branch is placed above or below the others and its candle is used to light the other eight candles. This unique candle is called theshammash(שַׁמָּשׁ‎, "attendant"). Each night, one additional candle is lit by theshammashuntil all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival.
Other Hanukkah festivities include singingHanukkah songs, playing the game ofdreideland eating oil-based foods, such aslatkesandsufganiyot(similar to jelly donuts), anddairy foods. Since the 1970s, the worldwideChabadHasidicmovement has initiated publicmenorahlightings in open public places in many countries.
Originally instituted as a feast "in the manner ofSukkot(Booths)", it does not come with the corresponding obligations, and is therefore a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms. Nevertheless, Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere, especially among secularJews, due to often occurring around the same time asChristmasduring thefestive season.
The name "Hanukkah" derives from the Hebrew verb "חנך‎", meaning "to dedicate". On Hanukkah, the Maccabean Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple.
Manyhomileticalexplanations have been given for the name:
InHebrew, the word Hanukkah is writtenחֲנֻכָּה‎ orחֲנוּכָּה‎ (Ḥănukā). It is most commonlytransliteratedto English asHanukkahorChanukah. The spellingHanukkah, which is based on using characters of the English alphabet as symbols to re-create the word's correct spelling in Hebrew,is the most commonand the preferred choice ofMerriam–Webster,Collins English Dictionary, theOxford Style Manual, and the style guides ofThe New York TimesandThe Guardian.The sound represented byCh([χ], similar to theScottishpronunciation ofloch) is not native to theEnglish language.Furthermore, the letterḥeth(ח‎), which is the first letter in the Hebrew spelling, is pronounced differently in modern Hebrew (voiceless uvular fricative) from in classical Hebrew (voiceless pharyngeal fricative[ħ]), and neither of those sounds is unambiguously representable in English spelling. However, its original sound is closer to the EnglishHthan to the ScottishCh, andHanukkahmore accurately represents the spelling in the Hebrew alphabet.Moreover, the 'kaf' consonant isgeminatein classical (but not modern) Hebrew. Adapting the classical Hebrew pronunciation with the geminate and pharyngealḤethcan lead to the spellingHanukkah, while adapting the modern Hebrew pronunciation with no gemination and uvularḤethleads to the spellingChanukah.
InModern Hebrew, Hanukkah may also be called theFestival of Lights(חַג הַאוּרִים‎,Ḥag HaUrim), based on a comment byJosephusinAntiquities of the Jews, καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο τὴν ἑορτὴν ἄγομεν καλοῦντες αὐτὴν φῶτα "And from then on we celebrate this festival, and we call it Lights". The first Hebrew translation ofAntiquities(1864) used (חַג הַמְּאֹרוֹת‎) "Festival of Lamps", but the translation "Festival of Lights" (חַג הַאוּרִים‎) appeared by the end of the nineteenth century.
The story of Hanukkah is told in the books of theFirstandSecond Maccabees, which describe in detail the rededication of theTemple in Jerusalemand the lighting of themenorah. These books, however, are not a part of thecanonizedMasoretic Textversion of theTanakh(Hebrew and Aramaic language Jewish Bible) used and accepted by normativeRabbinical Judaismand therefore modern Jews (as copied, edited and distributed by a group of Jews known as theMasoretesbetween the 7th and 10th centuries of theCommon Era). However, the books of Maccabees were included among thedeuterocanonical booksadded to theSeptuagint, a Jewish scholarly Greek-language translation of the Hebrew Bible originally compiled in the mid-3rd century BCE. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches consider the books of Maccabees as acanonicalpart of the Old Testament.
The eight-day rededication of the temple is described in 1 Maccabees,though the miracle of the oil does not appear here. A story similar in character, and older in date, is the one alluded to in 2 Maccabeesaccording to which the relighting of the altar fire byNehemiahwas due to a miracle which occurred on the 25th of Kislev, and which appears to be given as the reason for the selection of the same date for the rededication of the altar by Judah Maccabee.The above account in 1 Maccabees, as well as 2 Maccabeesportrays the feast as a delayed observation of the eight-day Feast of Booths (Sukkot); similarly 2 Maccabees explains the length of the feast as "in the manner of the Feast of Booths".
Megillat Taanit(1st century) contains a list of festive days on which fasting or eulogizing is forbidden. It specifies, "On the 25th of [Kislev] is Hanukkah of eight days, and one is not to eulogize".  Thescholion(9th-10th century) then references the story of the rededication of the Temple.
TheMishna(late 2nd century) mentions Hanukkah in several places,but never describes its laws in detail and never mentions any aspect of the history behind it. To explain the Mishna's lack of a systematic discussion of Hanukkah,Nissim ben Jacobpostulated that information on the holiday was so commonplace that the Mishna felt no need to explain it.Modern scholarReuvein Margoliessuggests that as the Mishnah was redacted after theBar Kochba revolt, its editors were reluctant to include explicit discussion of a holiday celebrating another relatively recent revolt against a foreign ruler, for fear of antagonizing the Romans.
The miracle of the one-day supply of oil miraculously lasting eight days is described in theTalmud, committed to writing about 600 years after the events described in the books of Maccabees.The Talmud says that after the forces ofAntiochus IVhad been driven from the Temple, the Maccabees discovered that almost all of the ritual olive oil had been profaned. They found only a single container that was stillsealedby theHigh Priest, with enough oil to keep the menorah in the Temple lit for a single day. They used this, yet it burned for eight days (the time it took to have new oil pressed and made ready).
The Talmud presents three options:
Except in times of danger, the lights were to be placed outside one's door, on the opposite side of themezuza, or in the window closest to the street.Rashi, in a note toShabbat 21b,says their purpose is to publicize the miracle. The blessings for Hanukkah lights are discussed in tractateSuccah,p. 46a.
Megillat Antiochus(probably composed in the 2nd century) concludes with the following words:
TheAl HaNissimprayer is recited on Hanukkah as an addition to theAmidahprayer, which was formalized in the late 1st century.Al HaNissimdescribes the history of the holiday as follows:
The Jewish historianTitus Flavius Josephusnarrates in his book,Jewish AntiquitiesXII, how the victoriousJudas Maccabeusordered lavish yearly eight-day festivities after rededicating the Temple in Jerusalem that had been profaned byAntiochus IV Epiphanes.Josephus does not say the festival was called Hanukkah but rather the "Festival of Lights":
In theNew Testament,John10:22–23 says, "Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, andJesuswas in thetemplecourts walking inSolomon's Colonnade" (NIV). The Greek noun used appears in the neuter plural as "the renewals" or "the consecrations" (Ancient Greek:τὰ ἐγκαίνια;ta enkaínia).The same root appears in 2 Esdras 6:16 in theSeptuagintto refer specifically to Hanukkah. This Greek word was chosen because the Hebrew word for 'consecration' or 'dedication' isHanukkah(חנכה). The Aramaic New Testament uses the Aramaic wordhawdata(a close synonym), which literally means 'renewal' or 'to make new'.
After thedeath of Alexander the Greatin 323BCE,Judeabecame part of thePtolemaic Kingdomof Egypt until 200 BCE, when KingAntiochus III the GreatofSyriadefeated KingPtolemy V Epiphanesof Egypt at theBattle of Panium. Judea then became part of theSeleucid Empireof Syria.King Antiochus III the Great, wanting to conciliate his new Jewish subjects, guaranteed their right to "live according to their ancestral customs" and to continue to practice their religion in the Temple of Jerusalem.The Seleucids, like the Ptolemies before them, held asuzeraintyover Judea, where they respected Jewish culture and protected Jewish institutions. This policy was drastically reversed byAntiochus IV Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus III, seemingly after what was either a dispute over leadership of the Temple in Jerusalem and the office ofHigh Priest, or possibly a revolt whose nature was lost to time after being crushed.In 175 BCE, Antiochus IV invaded Judea at the request of the sons of Tobias.TheTobiads, who led theHellenizing Jewish factionin Jerusalem, were expelled to Syria around 170 BCE when the high priestOniasand his pro-Egyptian faction wrested control from them. The exiled Tobiads lobbied Antiochus IV Epiphanes to recapture Jerusalem. As Flavius Josephus relates:
When theSecond Templein Jerusalem was looted and services stopped,Judaismwas outlawed. In 167 BCE,Antiochusordered an altar toZeuserected in the Temple. He bannedbrit milah(circumcision) and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple.
Antiochus's actions provoked a large-scalerevolt.Mattathias(Mattityahu), aJewish priest, and his five sonsJochanan,Simeon,Eleazar,Jonathan, andJudahled a rebellion against Antiochus. It started with Mattathias killing first a Jew who wanted to comply with Antiochus's order to sacrifice to Zeus, and then a Greek official who was to enforce the government's behest (1 Mac. 2, 24–25). Judah became known as Yehuda HaMakabi ("Judah the Hammer"). By 166 BCE, Mattathias had died, and Judah took his place as leader. By 164 BCE, the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. The festival of Hanukkah was instituted to celebrate this event.Judah ordered the Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one and new holy vessels to be made.According to the Talmud,
Tertiary sources in the Jewish tradition make reference to this account.
Maimonides(12th century) described Hanukkah as follows:
Some modern scholars, following the account in 2 Maccabees, observe that the king was intervening in an internalcivil warbetween the Maccabean Jews and theHellenized Jewsin Jerusalem.These competed violently over who would be the High Priest, with traditionalists with Hebrew/Aramaic names likeOniascontesting with Hellenizing High Priests with Greek names likeJasonandMenelaus.In particular, Jason's Hellenistic reforms would prove to be a decisive factor leading to eventual conflict within the ranks of Judaism.Other authors point to possible socioeconomic reasons in addition to the religious reasons behind the civil war.
What began in many respects as a civil war escalated when the Hellenistic kingdom of Syria sided with the Hellenizing Jews in their conflict with the traditionalists.As the conflict escalated, Antiochus took the side of the Hellenizers by prohibiting the religious practices the traditionalists had rallied around. This may explain why the king, in a total departure from Seleucid practice in all other places and times, banned a traditional religion.
The miracle of the oil is widely regarded as a legend and its authenticity has been questioned since the Middle Ages.However, given the famous questionJoseph Karo(1488–1575) posed concerning why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days when the miracle was only for seven days (since there was enough oil for one day),it was clear that writing in the 16th century CE, he believed it to be a historical event. This belief has been adopted by most ofOrthodox Judaism, in as much as Karo'sShulchan Aruchis a main code of Jewish Law.
Selected battles between the Maccabees and the Seleucid Syrian-Greeks:
Hanukkah is celebrated with a series of rituals that are performed every day throughout the eight-day holiday, some are family-based and others communal. There are special additions to thedaily prayer service, and a section is added to theblessing after meals.
Hanukkah is not a "Sabbath-like" holiday, and there is no obligation to refrain fromactivities that are forbidden on the Sabbath, as specified in theShulkhan Arukh.Adherents go to work as usual but may leave early in order to be home to kindle the lights at nightfall. There is no religious reason for schools to be closed, although in Israel schools close from the second day for the whole week of Hanukkah.Many families exchange gifts each night, such as books or games, and "Hanukkah Gelt" is often given to children. Fried foods—such aslatkes(potato pancakes), jelly doughnuts (sufganiyot) andSephardicbimuelos—are eaten to commemorate the importance of oil during the celebration of Hanukkah. Some also have a custom of eating dairy products to rememberJudithand how she overcameHolofernesby feeding him cheese, which made him thirsty, and giving him wine to drink. When Holofernes became very drunk, Judithcut off his head.
Each night throughout the eight-day holiday, a candle or oil-based light is lit. As a universally practiced "beautification" (hiddur mitzvah) of themitzvah, the number of lights lit is increased by one each night.An extra light called ashammash, meaning "attendant" or "sexton",is also lit each night, and is given a distinct location, usually higher, lower, or to the side of the others.
AmongAshkenazimthe tendency is for every male member of the household (and in many families, girls as well) to light a full set of lights each night,while amongSephardimthe prevalent custom is to have one set of lights for the entire household.
The purpose of theshammashis to adhere to the prohibition, specified in the Talmud,against using the Hanukkah lights for anything other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah miracle. This differs fromSabbathcandles which are meant to be used for illumination and lighting. Hence, if one were to need extra illumination on Hanukkah, theshammashcandle would be available, and one would avoid using the prohibited lights. Some, especially Ashkenazim, light theshammashcandle first and then use it to light the others.So altogether, including theshammash, two lights are lit on the first night, three on the second and so on, ending with nine on the last night, for a total of 44 (36, excluding theshammash). It is Sephardic custom not to light the shammash first and use it to light the rest. Instead, the shammash candle is the last to be lit, and a different candle or a match is used to light all the candles. Some Hasidic Jews follow this Sephardic custom as well.
The lights can be candles or oil lamps.Electric lights are sometimes used and are acceptable in places where open flame is not permitted, such as a hospital room, or for the very elderly and infirm; however, those who permit reciting a blessing over electric lamps only allow it if it is incandescent and battery operated (an incandescent flashlight would be acceptable for this purpose), while a blessing may not be recited over a plug-in menorah or lamp. Most Jewish homes have a specialcandelabrumreferred to as either aHanukkah menorah(the traditional name,menorahbeing Hebrew for 'lamp') or aChanukiah(the modern Israeli term). Some families use an oil lamp menorah (traditionally filled with olive oil) for Hanukkah; like the candle version, it has eight wicks to light plus the additionalshammashlight.
In the United States, Hanukkah became a more visible festival in thepublic spherefrom the 1970s when RabbiMenachem M. Schneersoncalled for public awareness and observance of the festival and encouraged the lighting ofpublic menorahs.
The reason for the Hanukkah lights is not for the "lighting of the house within", but rather for the "illumination of the house without", so that passersby should see it and be reminded of the holiday's miracle (i.e. that the sole cruse of pure oil found which held enough oil to burn for one night actually burned for eight nights). Accordingly, lamps are set up at a prominent window or near the door leading to the street. It is customary amongst someAshkenazi Jewsto have a separate menorah for each family member (customs vary), whereas mostSephardi Jewslight one for the whole household. Only when there was danger ofantisemitic persecutionwere lamps supposed to be hidden from public view, as was the case inPersiaunder the rule of theZoroastrians,or in parts of Europe before and during World War II. However, mostHasidicgroups light lamps near an inside doorway, not necessarily in public view. According to this tradition, the lamps are placed on the opposite side from themezuzah, so people passing through the door are surrounded by the holiness ofmitzvot(thecommandments).
Generally, women are exempt in Jewish law from time-bound positive commandments, although the Talmud requires that women engage in the mitzvah of lighting Hanukkah candles "for they too were involved in the miracle."
Some Jews in North America and Israel have taken up environmental concerns in relation to Hanukkah's "miracle of the oil", emphasizing reflection onenergy conservationandenergy independence. An example of this is the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life's renewable energy campaign.
Hanukkah lights should usually burn for at least half an hour after it gets dark.Many light at sundown, while most Hasidim and many other communities light later, generally around nightfall.Many HasidicRebbeslight much later to fulfill the obligation of publicizing the miracle by the presence of their Hasidim when they kindle the lights.
Inexpensive small wax candles sold for Hanukkah burn for approximately half an hour so should be lit no earlier than nightfall.Friday night presents a problem, however. Since candles may not be lit onShabbatitself, the candles must be lit before sunset.However, they must remain lit through the lighting of the Shabbat candles. Therefore, the Hanukkah menorah is lit first with larger candles than usual,followed by theShabbat candles. At the end of the Shabbat, there are those who light the Hanukkah lights beforeHavdalahand those who make Havdalah before the lighting Hanukkah lights.
If for whatever reason one didn't light at sunset or nightfall, the lights should be kindled later, as long as there are people in the streets.Later than that, the lights should still be kindled, but the blessings should be recited only if there is at least somebody else awake in the house and present at the lighting of the Hannukah lights.
Typically two blessings (brachot; singular:brachah) are recited during this eight-day festival when lighting the candles. On the first night only, theshehecheyanublessing is added, making a total of three blessings.
The first blessing is recited before the candles are lit, and while most recite the other blessing(s) beforehand as well, some have the custom to recite them after. On the first night of Hanukkah one light (candle or oil) is lit on the right side of the menorah, on the following night a second light is placed to the left of the first but it is lit first, and so on, proceeding from placing candles right to left but lighting them from left to right over the eight nights.
Transliteration:Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner Hanukkah.
Translation: "Blessed are You, LORDour God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light[s]."
Transliteration:Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam, she'asa nisim la'avoteinu ba'yamim ha'heim ba'z'man ha'ze.
Translation: "Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time..."
After the lights are kindled the hymnHanerot Halaluis recited. There are several different versions; the version presented here is recited in many Ashkenazic communities:
In the Ashkenazi tradition, each night after the lighting of the candles, the hymnMa'oz Tzuris sung. The song contains six stanzas. The first and last deal with general themes of divine salvation, and the middle four deal with events of persecution inJewish history, praising God for survival despite these tragedies (the exodusfrom Egypt, theBabylonian captivity, the miracle of the holiday ofPurim, theHasmoneanvictory) and expressing a longing for the days when Judea will finally triumph overRome.
The song was composed in the thirteenth century by a poet only known through the acrostic found in the first letters of the original five stanzas of the song: Mordechai. The familiar tune is most probably a derivation of a German Protestant church hymn or a popular folk song.
After lighting the candles and Ma'oz Tzur, singing other Hanukkah songs is customary in many Jewish homes. SomeHasidicandSephardiJews recitePsalms, such as Psalm 30, Psalm 67, and Psalm 91. In North America and in Israel it is common to exchange presents or give children presents at this time. In addition, many families encourage their children to givetzedakah(charity) in lieu of presents for themselves.
An addition is made to the "hoda'ah" (thanksgiving) benediction in theAmidah(thrice-daily prayers), calledAl HaNissim("On/about the Miracles").This addition refers to the victory achieved over the Syrians by the Hasmonean Mattathias and his sons.
The same prayer is added to the grace after meals. In addition, theHallel(praise) Psalmsare sung during each morning service and theTachanunpenitential prayers are omitted.
The Torah is read every day in theshacharitmorning services insynagogue, on the first day beginning from Numbers 6:22 (according to some customs, Numbers 7:1), and the last day ending with Numbers 8:4. Since Hanukkah lasts eight days it includes at least one, and sometimes two,Jewish Sabbaths(Saturdays). The weeklyTorah portionfor the first Sabbath is almost alwaysMiketz, telling ofJoseph's dream and his enslavement inEgypt. TheHaftarahreading for the first Sabbath Hanukkah is Zechariah 2:14 – Zechariah 4:7. When there is a second Sabbath on Hanukkah, theHaftarahreading is from 1 Kings 7:40–50.
The Hanukkahmenorahis also kindled daily in the synagogue, at night with the blessings and in the morning without the blessings.
The menorah is not lit during Shabbat, but rather prior to the beginning of Shabbat as described above and not at all during the day.
During theMiddle Ages"Megillat Antiochus" was read in theItaliansynagogues on Hanukkah just as theBook of Estheris read onPurim. It still forms part of the liturgy of theYemenite Jews.
The last day of Hanukkah is known by some asZot Hanukkahand by others asChanukat HaMizbeach, from the verse read on this day in the synagogue Numbers 7:84,Zot Hanukkat Hamizbe'ach: "This was the dedication of the altar". According to the teachings ofKabbalahandHasidism, this day is the final "seal" of the High Holiday season ofYom Kippurand is considered a time to repent out of love for God. In this spirit, many Hasidic Jews wish each otherGmar chatimah tovah("may you be sealed totally for good"), a traditional greeting for the Yom Kippur season. It is taught in Hasidic and Kabbalistic literature that this day is particularly auspicious for the fulfillment of prayers.
SomeHasidicscholars teach that the Hanukkah is in fact the final conclusion of God's judgment extendingHigh Holy DaysofRosh Hashanawhen humanity is judged andYom Kippurwhen the judgment is sealed:
It is customary for women not to work for at least the first half-hour of the candles' burning, and some have the custom not to work for the entire time of burning. It is also forbidden to fast or to eulogize during Hanukkah.
Hanukkah songs (in Hebrew except where indicated) include "Ma'oz Tzur" (Rock of Ages), "Latke'le Latke'le" (Yiddish: "LittleLatke, Little Latke"), "Hanukkiah Li Yesh" ("I Have a Hanukkah Menorah"), "Ocho Kandelikas" (Judeo-Spanish: "Eight Little Candles"), "Kad Katan" ("A Small Jug"), "S'vivon Sov Sov Sov" ("Dreidel, Spin and Spin"), "Haneirot Halolu" ("These Candles Which We Light"), "Mi Yimalel" ("Who Can Retell") and "Ner Li, Ner Li" ("I have a Candle").
Among the best known songs in English-speaking countries are "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel"and "Oh Chanukah".
In theNadvornaHasidicdynasty, it is customary for the rebbes to play violin after the menorah is lit.
Penina Moise's Hannukah Hymn published in the 1842Hymns Written for the Use of Hebrew Congregationswas instrumental in the beginning of Americanization of Hanukkah.
There is a custom of eating foods fried or baked in oil (preferablyolive oil) to commemorate the miracle of a small flask of oil keeping theSecond Temple'sMenorahalight for eight days.Traditional foods includepotato pancakes, known aslatkesinYiddish, especially amongAshkenazifamilies. Sephardi,Polish, andIsraelifamilies eat jam-filleddoughnuts(Yiddish:פּאָנטשקעסpontshkes),bimuelos(fritters) andsufganiyotwhich aredeep-friedin oil.ItalkimandHungarian Jewstraditionally eat cheese pancakes known as "cassola" or "cheese latkes".
Latkes are not popular in Israel, having been largely replaced by sufganiyot due to local economic factors, convenience and the influence of trade unions.Bakeries in Israel have popularized many new types of fillings forsufganiyotbesides the traditional strawberry jelly filling, including chocolate cream, vanilla cream, caramel, cappuccino and others.In recent years, downsized, "mini" sufganiyot containing half the calories of the regular, 400-to-600-calorie version, have become popular.
Rabbinic literature also records a tradition of eating cheese and other dairy products during Hanukkah.This custom, as mentioned above, commemorates the heroism ofJudithduring the Babylonian captivity of the Jews and reminds us that women also played an important role in the events of Hanukkah.Thedeuterocanonicalbook of Judith (Yehudit or Yehudis in Hebrew), which is not part of theTanakh, records thatHolofernes, an Assyrian general, had surrounded the village of Bethulia as part of his campaign to conquer Judea. After intense fighting, the water supply of the Jews was cut off and the situation became desperate. Judith, a pious widow, told the city leaders that she had a plan to save the city. Judith went to the Assyrian camps and pretended to surrender. She met Holofernes, who was smitten by her beauty. She went back to his tent with him, where she plied him with cheese and wine. When he fell into a drunken sleep, Judith beheaded him and escaped from the camp, taking the severed head with her (thebeheading of Holofernes by Judithhas historically been a popular theme in art). When Holofernes' soldiers found his corpse, they were overcome with fear; the Jews, on the other hand, were emboldened and launched a successful counterattack. The town was saved, and the Assyrians defeated.
Roast goosehas historically been a traditional Hanukkah food among Eastern European and American Jews, although the custom has declined in recent decades.
Indian Jewstraditionally consumegulab jamun, fried dough balls soaked in a sweet syrup, similar toteiglachorbimuelos, as part of their Hanukkah celebrations.
Italian Jewseat fried chicken, cassola (a ricotta cheese latke almost similar to a cheesecake), andfritelle de riso par Hanukkah(a fried sweet rice pancake).
Romanian Jewseatpasta latkesas a traditional Hanukkah dish.
Syrian JewsconsumeKibbet Yatkeen, a dish made with pumpkin and bulgur wheat similar tolatkes, as well as their own version ofkeftes de prasaspiced with allspice and cinnamon.
After lighting the candles, it is customary to play (or spin) thedreidel. The dreidel, orsevivonin Hebrew, is a four-sided spinning top that children play with during Hanukkah. Each side is imprinted with a Hebrew letter which is an abbreviation for the Hebrew wordsנס גדול היה שם(NesGadolHayaSham, "A great miracle happened there"), referring to the miracle of the oil that took place in theBeit Hamikdash. The fourth side of some dreidels sold in Israel are inscribed with the letterפ(Pe), rendering the acronymנס גדול היה פה(NesGadolHayaPo, "A great miracle happened here"), referring to the fact that the miracle occurred in the land of Israel, although this is a relatively recentinnovation. Stores inHaredineighborhoods sell the traditionalShindreidels as well, because they understand "there" to refer to the Temple and not the entire Land of Israel, and because the Hasidic Masters ascribe significance to the traditional letters.
Chanukkah gelt(Yiddishfor "Chanukkah money"), known in Israel by the Hebrew translationHebrew:דְּמֵי חֲנֻכָּה,romanized:dmei Hanukkah, is often distributed to children during the festival of Hanukkah. The giving of Hanukkah gelt also adds to the holiday excitement. The amount is usually in small coins, although grandparents or relatives may give larger sums. The tradition of giving Chanukahgeltdates back to a long-standing East European custom of children presenting their teachers with a small sum of money at this time of year as a token of gratitude. Oneminhagfavors the fifth night of Hanukkah for giving Hanukkah gelt.Unlike the other nights of Hanukkah, the fifth does not ever fall on the Shabbat, hence never conflicting with theHalachicinjunction against handling money on theShabbat.
The earliest Hanukkah link with the White House occurred in 1951 when Israeli Prime MinisterDavid Ben-Gurionpresented United States PresidentHarry Trumanwith a Hanukkah menorah. In 1979 PresidentJimmy Cartertook part in the first public Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony of theNational Menorahheld across the White House lawn. In 1989, PresidentGeorge H. W. Bushdisplayed a menorah in the White House. In 1993, PresidentBill Clintoninvited a group of schoolchildren to theOval Officefor a small ceremony.
TheUnited States Postal Servicehas released severalHanukkah-themedpostage stamps. In 1996, the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a 32 cent Hanukkah stamp as ajoint issuewithIsrael.In 2004, after eight years of reissuing the menorah design, the USPS issued a dreidel design for the Hanukkah stamp. The dreidel design was used through 2008. In 2009 a Hanukkah stamp was issued with a design featured a photograph of a menorah with nine lit candles.In 2008, PresidentGeorge W. Bushheld an official Hanukkah reception in the White House where he linked the occasion to the 1951 gift by using that menorah for the ceremony, with a grandson of Ben-Gurion and a grandson of Truman lighting the candles.
In December 2014, two Hanukkah celebrations were held at the White House. TheWhite Housecommissioned a menorah made by students at the Max Rayne school in Israel and invited two of its students to join U.S. PresidentBarack Obamaand First LadyMichelle Obamaas they welcomed over 500 guests to the celebration. The students' school in Israel had been subjected to arson by extremists. President Obama said these "students teach us an important lesson for this time in our history. The light of hope must outlast the fires of hate. That's what the Hanukkah story teaches us. It's what our young people can teach us – that one act of faith can make a miracle, that love is stronger than hate, that peace can triumph over conflict."RabbiAngela Warnick Buchdahl, in leading prayers at the ceremony commented on the how special the scene was, asking the President if he believed America's founding fathers could possibly have pictured that a female Asian-American rabbi would one day be at the White House leading Jewish prayers in front of the African-American president.
The dates of Hanukkah are determined by theHebrew calendar. Hanukkah begins at the 25th day ofKislevand concludes on the second or third day ofTevet(Kislev can have 29 or 30 days). The Jewish day begins at sunset. Hanukkah dates for recent and upcoming:
In 2013, on 28 November, the American holiday ofThanksgivingfell during Hanukkah for only the third time since Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday by PresidentAbraham Lincoln. The last time was 1899, and  due to the nature of the Gregorian and Jewish calendars being slightly out of sync with each other, it will not happen again in the foreseeable future.This rare convergence prompted the creation of theneologismThanksgivukkah.
Major Jewish holidays are those when all forms of work are forbidden, and that feature traditional holiday meals, kiddush, holiday candle-lighting, etc. Only biblical holidays fit these criteria, and Chanukah was instituted some two centuries after theHebrew Biblewas completed. Nevertheless, though Chanukah is of rabbinic origin, it is traditionally celebrated in a major and very public fashion. The requirement to position the menorah, or Chanukiah, at the door or window, symbolizes the desire to give the Chanukah miracle a high-profile.Moreover,Hallel(a set of Psalms expressing praise that is recited on significant Jewish holidays) is recited on all eight days of Hanukkah, which signifies Hanukkah's importance on the Jewish calendar. While not considered the most significant holiday, the recitation of Hallel on Hanukkah highlights its importance in Jewish tradition.
Some Jewish historians suggest a different explanation for the rabbinic reluctance to laud the militarism.First, the rabbis wrote after Hasmonean leaders had led Judea into Rome's grip and so may not have wanted to offer the family much praise. Second, they clearly wanted to promote a sense of dependence on God, urging Jews to look toward the divine for protection. They likely feared inciting Jews to another revolt that might end in disaster, as theBar Kochba revoltdid.
The emergence of Jewish nationalism and theZionistmovement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries had a profound impact on the celebration and reinterpretation ofJewish holidays. These developments resulted in increased emphasis on certain Jewish celebrations, of which Hanukkah andTu BiShvatare prominent examples.
Hanukkah took on renewed meaning following the rise of Jewish nationalism as anationalist holiday, symbolizing the struggle of the Jewish people against foreign oppression and their desire for national re-creation(although the struggle of Jews against foreign oppression has always been a core component of Hanukkah, as shown by theAl HaNissim, which has been part of Jewish liturgy since at least 700 CE).Hanukkah served as a common ground where both religious and secular Zionists could unite around their nationalist agenda. RabbiShmuel Mohilever, an early religious Zionist, proposed making Hanukkah the official holiday of the proto-Zionist organizationHovevei Zionin Russia in 1881. Public celebrations of Hanukkah gained prominence in the early 20th century, with parades and public events becoming common. Schools inMandate Palestineplayed an early role in promoting these celebrations.
With the advent of Zionism and the state ofIsrael, the themes of militarism were reconsidered. In modern Israel, the national and military aspects of Hanukkah became, once again, more dominant.
In North America, Hanukkah in the 21st century has taken a place equal toPassoveras a symbol of Jewish identity. Both the Israeli and North American versions of Hanukkah emphasize resistance, focusing on some combination ofnational liberationandreligious freedomas the defining meaning of the holiday.
Diane Ashton attributed the increased visibility and reinvention of Hanukkah by some of the American Jewish community as a way to adapt to American life, re-inventing the festival in "the language of individualism and personal conscience derived from both Protestantism and the Enlightenment".
In North America, Hanukkah became increasingly important to many Jewish individuals and families during the latter part of the 20th century, including a large number ofsecular Jews, who wanted to celebrate a Jewish alternative to theChristmascelebrations which frequently overlap with Hanukkah.Diane Ashton argues that Jewish immigrants to America raised the profile of Hanukkah as a kid-centered alternative to Christmas as early as the 1800s.This in parts mirrors the ascendancy of Christmas, which like Hanukkah increased in importance in the 1800s.During this time period, Jewish leaders (especiallyReform) such asMax LilienthalandIsaac Mayer Wisemade an effort to rebrand Hanukkah and started creating Hanukkah celebration for kids at their synagogues, which included candy and singing songs.By the 1900s, it started to become a commercial holiday like Christmas, with Hanukkah gifts and decorations appearing in stores and Jewish Women's magazines printing articles on holiday decorations, children's celebrations, and gift giving.Ashton says that Jewish families did this in order to maintain a Jewish identity which is distinct from mainline Christian culture, on the other hand, the mirroring of Hanukkah and Christmas made Jewish families and kids feel that they were American.Though it was traditional forAshkenazi Jewsto give "gelt" or money to children during Hanukkah, in many families, this tradition has been supplemented with the giving of other gifts so that Jewish children can enjoy receiving gifts just like their Christmas-celebrating peers do.Children play a big role in Hanukkah, and Jewish families with children are more likely to celebrate it than childless Jewish families, and sociologists hypothesize that this is because Jewish parents do not want their kids to be alienated from their non-Jewish peers who celebrate Christmas.Recent celebrations have also seen the presence of theHanukkah bush, which is considered a Jewish counterpart to theChristmas tree. Today, the presence of Hanukkah bushes is generally discouraged by mostrabbis.
In December 2022, New York City MayorEric Adams, ReverendsAl SharptonandConrad Tillard, businessmanRobert F. Smith, RabbiShmuley Boteach, andElisha Wieseljoined to celebrate Hanukkah andKwanzaatogether, and combat racism and antisemitism, atCarnegie Hall.