It all started with a war, some badass Maccabees who were the underdogs but won, a temple that was decimated, and some oil that should have kept a candle lit for one day that lasted for eight. Between the flickering candles, the jelly donuts, the potato pancakes with sour cream, not to mention presents, it’s hard to go wrong with this one. Wrap that up in a great story of triumph and you’ve got yourself a heckuva holiday!
JewBelong's Hanukkah Guide includes the traditional blessings, plus updated ones for each night that you'll actually relate to, and a fun skit.Eight days of gifts because the oil didn’t run out? I love us.
Not so fast. If you don’t know the story behind why we celebrate, it’s high time you did… Antiochus (he’s the bad guy) was a Greek king around the time 165 BCE. (That’s 165 years before the year 0). Antiochus wanted all the people in Judea (what we now know as Israel) to be hellenized – in other words, to start acting like Greeks. What with all the Greek gods and sacrifices, it’s not surprising that the Jews said, “No freaking way!” This made Antiochus furious, so he had his army make a huge mess of the temple in Jerusalem and to kill anyone who tried to stand in his way, which, of course, started a war…
Even if everything you know about Hanukkah is from Rugrats.
Go all out. Start with a menorah and candles. Gifts, fried foods like donuts and latkes (potato pancakes), chocolate gelt, and even dreidels can add to the fun. Menorah (Hebrew for lamp): File this knowledge bomb for the next time you are asked to play Jewish Trivia. A regular old menorah only has seven branches. A Hanukkah menorah, also known as a hanukkiah or a Hanukkah menorah, has nine branches (one candle for each night plus the shamash. So every hanukkiah is a menorah, but not every menorah is a hanukkiah. Some families light just one menorah, and others have one for each member of the family, which can be a bit of a fire hazard but definitely adds to the beauty. You’ll need lots of them to last all eight nights (44 per menorah, to be exact). (Some families prefer an electric menorah but it’s just not as fun to turn a lightbulb if you don’t have to.) Candles are traditionally lit at nightfall, and when possible, placed near a window so that the light is visible to all. We love that. Gifts: Some families give a gift on each night. Seriously though, the idea of eight presents for each member of your family, especially if you have kids can feel a little daunting! Some families give one present on the first night and then treats for the remaining nights. Some families do the opposite and start with tchotchkes that lead up to a bigger gift. Some families plan a special night or vacation together. You get the idea. Do whatever works for you and try not to stress. We hate stress. Fried Foods: Latkes and jelly donuts are tried and true and also delicious but get creative. French fries, onion rings, eggrolls, etc. Especially if the holiday falls on a Friday. (Get it? Fry-day?) Chocolate Coins/Gelt: Gelt is Yiddish for money. On Hanukkah, in addition to presents, we’re supposed to give money to charity. Back in the day, before Venmo and Apple Pay, people gave their children coins to give away. Somehow that got translated to handing out those chocolate coins in the awesome fishnet sacks. (Now we’re waiting for the next Hanukkah miracle, which will be a new way to get the foil off the gelt without embedding chocolate under our fingernails.) Dreidels: Have you ever played dreidel? If not, give it a try. We’re warning you, though, dreidel may be the dullest game ever, even with the gambling. It started when the ancient Jews were hiding in caves learning Torah. They would play dreidel for a break. Some break! (We’d almost rather study Torah.) If you find a way to make dreidel a more exciting game, let us and the rest of the world know. It’s a good use for those aforementioned chocolate coins, though.
Gefilte fish isn’t served on Hanukkah. That should be gift enough.
Does JewBelong have a Hanukkah skit? Hello, was Judah Maccabee a badass?
You're not crazy; it is safer to put the menorah in the sink.
Download our Hanukkah booklet. It ain't a holiday without a funny skit and some meaningful readings.
Hanukkah celebrates a famous Jewish military victory. Of course, the next one wouldn't come for 2000 years.
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