Hanukkah Celebration: Understanding the Jewish Festival of Lights
For eight nights each year, Jews celebrate the Festival of Lights, known as Hanukkah. Hanukkah celebrates the miracles that occurred more than 2,000 years ago when Judah and the Maccabees fought against religious persecution, rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and lit the menorah (a candelabrum) with one day’s worth of oil that, amazingly, lasted for eight. Let the Hanukkah Celebration Web Guide show you where to find information on Hanukkah customs, traditions, food, blessings, music and more.
Expand All Guide SectionsHanukkah Traditions
Hanukkah traditions date back to Hellenistic times and the reign of one of Alexander the Great’s successors, Antiochus IV, when Judah and the Maccabees rebelled against assimilation into Hellenistic culture and religious persecution. Even though the victory of the Maccabees is integral to the understanding of the Hanukkah holiday and its traditions, it is not Jewish custom to celebrate a military victory. On Hanukkah, Jews rejoice mainly because the oil lasted for eight nights and the Temple was rededicated. To learn more about Hanukkah, including this holiday's traditions and customs, visit the sites below.
Insights for Hanukkah Traditions
- The Hebrew word Hanukkah is spelled in English in a number of ways: Hanukkah, Chanukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Hannukah and Khanuka are just some of the options. Hanukkah is the most generally accepted spelling.
- Hanukkah's date changes each year on the Gregorian calendar; visit MyJewishLearning.com for a calendar of all Jewish holidays.
Top Sites for Hanukkah Traditions
For a brief overview of Hanukkah …
Judaism 101
is essentially an online encyclopedia about Judaism, and contains a comprehensive introduction to Hanukkah. Written in a friendly tone, this page teaches Hanukkah’s history, traditions, music and food in a manner useful for both observant Jews and non-Jews alike.
The History Channel
Web site has short overviews on different aspects of Hanukkah. Learn about the history and traditions of the holiday, watch a well-produced four-minute video and even read about some record-breaking Hanukkah achievements, such as the world’s tallest menorah and the largest pile of jelly doughnuts.
For more extensive information …
The Jewish Outreach Institute
hosts numerous national conferences and publications dedicated to Jewish community outreach and provides more detail on the history and traditions of Hanukkah.
Chabad.org
provides this fun, interactive Web site about Hanukkah. There’s an extensive telling of the Hanukkah story divided into six sections, one of which is a radio play that you can download. Also look for games, interesting Hanukkah facts, recipes, greeting cards and more.
Aish.com
offers a “how-to” section with an animated guide on how to light a menorah, a “stories” section with a narrative explaining the meaning of Hanukkah through a college fraternity experience, a “multi-media” section with a video about miracles and much more.
Hanukkah Food and Recipes
Fried and oily are the words most commonly associated with Hanukkah food. They are the staples of the holiday because they commemorate the miracle of the oil burning for eight days instead of one. We can thank that legendary miracle for the delicious latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly doughnuts that are favorite Hanukkah treats. Use the sites below to learn about the Hanukkah food tradition and find Hanukkah recipes. If fried foods aren’t on your diet, there are some slimming options to choose from as well.
Insights for Hanukkah Food and Recipes
- Chocolate coins, representing what’s known in Yiddish as gelt, have come to be a ubiquitous Hanukkah treat. Buy this candy at supermarkets or from many of the Web sites in the “Hanukkah Products” section of this guide.
- Craving a healthier Hanukkah meal? Look for healthy recipes (traditionally Jewish and otherwise) in the findingDulcinea Recipes Web Guide. This sample Hanukkah menu from the food Web site Sally's Place may also help.
Top Sites for Hanukkah Food and Recipes
For an explanation of Hanukkah's culinary customs …
MyJewishLearning.com
does a good job explaining why Jews eat the food they do on Hanukkah. The article focuses on the significance of cheese and foods cooked in oil.
The New York Times
has an article from 2005 entitled “Out of the Fryer, Into the Lights,” about celebrating Hanukkah with jelly doughnuts, called sufganiyot in Hebrew. A longstanding hit in Israel, jelly doughnuts are rising in popularity among American Jews.
For Hanukkah recipes …
Chabad.org
introduces some traditional Hanukkah recipes in an easy-to-follow manner. The site presents eight popular Hanukkah dishes with a list of ingredients, cooking/baking directions and reader comments for each one.
Food Network
offers an extensive array of recipes. Learn how to make dishes like latkes, fried zucchini, pumpkin and corn fritters, noodle kugel, brisket, yeast doughnuts and blueberry blintzes, among other savory and sweet possibilities.
Allrecipes.com
has many of the same recipes as the previous sites but it is particularly helpful in that it has user reviews and a “More Recipes Like This” link. Look for free recipes from cooks all over the world, making for such potential gems as “Jewish Grandma's Best Beef Brisket,” rated four-and-a-half stars out of five.
Hanukkah Songs and Music
“I Have a Little Dreidel” is one of the best-known Hanukkah songs. But there’s a lot more to Hanukkah’s rich musical tradition. The Web sites in this section teach you about Hanukkah music, allowing you to read the lyrics and listen to the tunes. Hanukkah blessings are also included.
Insights for Hanukkah Songs and Music
- The Diaspora of the Jews (which began in the year 587 BCE, when the Babylonians conquered Judea) was a major force in shaping Jewish history and culture. It scattered the Jewish community throughout the world, resulting in the evolution of multiple melodies for the same traditional song. In the links below, you’ll find songs and prayers recited in a number of different ways.
Top Sites for Hanukkah Songs and Music
For Hanukkah blessings ...
Torah.org
lays out the three main blessings (or brachot) to be said upon lighting Hanukkah candles. The prayers are written in Hebrew with an English interpretation and transliteration for each one. An explanation on how you should recite the prayers, in what order and on what days is also provided. Listen to audio recitations of the blessings, or look for more blessings at the bottom of the page.
For Hanukkah songs and music …
123Holiday.net
includes five of the most popular Hanukkah songs: “I Have a Little Dreidel,” “Sivivon, sov, sov, sov,” “Maoz Tzur,” “Chanuka, Chanuka” and “Chanuka, oh Chanuka.” English interpretations and phonetic spelling are provided.
Songs for Teaching
offers “Chanukah Songs for Children and Families.” The site has a wide selection of songs, such as “Eight Candles” and “Judah Maccabee, the Hammer.” Not only does the site provide the lyrics but it also has audio clips of each song sung by different performers. Purchase a CD or download the songs from this site.
Aish.com
provides several popular Hanukkah songs for your listening pleasure. This site does not have as many songs as the previous site but it does offer more extended MP3 audio files of the songs to accompany the lyrics.
Hanukkah Products
It’s no fun to sing “I Have a Little Dreidel” if you do not have a little dreidel. And it’s not Hanukkah without candles burning in your menorah. The sites below lead you to all the menorahs, dreidels, candles and related Hanukkah products that your heart desires.
Insights for Hanukkah Products
- It’s traditional to give gelt (money) on Hanukkah. But because of the holiday’s proximity to Christmas, some of the Christmas traditions have found their way into the Hanukkah festivities. As a result, exchanging presents is now quite common in the United States.
- For more information about online shopping in general, take a look at the findingDulcinea Shopping Web Guide. For gift ideas and all sorts of other gift-related help, read our findingDulcinea Gift Giving Web Guide.
Top Sites for Hanukkah Products
For Hanukkah merchandise and other Judaica …
Judaica Mall
offers a huge selection of unique and beautifully designed Hanukkah products including menorahs, dreidels and candles. There are more than 200 menorahs to choose from, such as standard bronze, colorful glass, traveling menorahs and more. And don’t forget the large “Ceramic Giraffe Menorah."
Zion Judaica
has a clean design that makes for an enjoyable online shopping experience. For example, if you visit the “World of Fine Menorahs,” you can then narrow that search to oil or children’s menorahs, among others. This site also features a variety of products that you won’t find in the previous site, like Hanukkah novelty items, books, CDs and jewelry.
MileChai.com
is very easy to use, and offers a wide selection of Hanukkah products. Use the sidebar on the left for the easiest navigation. Search under “Menorahs” or “Chanukah” to find just the item you need to make your holiday complete.
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