NEW ORLEANS – Nestled in between greetings of “Happy Holidays!” and “Merry Christmas!” you might hear a quick “Happy Hanukkah!” but what is Hanukkah? And when is it celebrated? How do you even spell it? I’m Taylor Feingold, the resident Jewish girl of WGNO, and I’m here to break it down for you.
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday, celebrated with a menorah (an eight branch candelabrum), special prayers, and fried foods.
Why is Hanukkah celebrated?
As with most holidays, this one has a story that takes place a very long time ago. Around 200 BC, Judea, also known as Israel, was under the control of King Antiochus III the Great, the Seleucid king of Syria. King Antiochus III allowed the Jews under his rule to continue practicing their religion. However, in about 170 BC, his son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, wasn’t as accepting. Ancient sources say that he outlawed the Jewish religion. Upon doing so, the Second Temple, a holy building devoted to worship, was desecrated and looted.
Led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons, a small army of Jews called the Maccabees, defeated the King and drove him from Judea. When Mattathias died in 166 BC, his son, known as Judah Maccabee, took over and called on the Maccabees to rebuild and cleanse the Second Temple. Part of this was lighting the Temple’s menorah, a gold candelabrum that was meant to stay burning every night.
When the Maccabees sought to light the Temple’s menorah, they discovered that there was only enough untainted oil to light the candles for a single day. Miraculously, the small amount of oil lasted not one, not two, but eight days – the amount of time it takes for new oil to be prepared under Jewish ritual.
This astounding event inspired a yearly eight-day Jewish festival called Hanukkah.
When is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is celebrated according to the Hebrew calendar, as opposed to the Gregorian calendar, which most people are familiar with. The Hebrew calendar is based on the lunar cycle. So while Hanukkah begins on the same day every year according to the Hebrew calendar, 25 Kislev, the date will jump around on the Gregorian calendar. It tends to fall somewhere between late November and December. This year, Hanukkah began on the evening of Thursday, December 10, and ends on the evening of Friday, December 18.
How do you celebrate Hanukkah?
At the heart of the Festival of Lights is a nightly menorah lighting. The menorah holds nine flames, one for each night that the oil lasted, and one as the “shamash” or “attendant” that is used to light the others. While the menorah is lit, special blessings are recited.
Another special way the Jews celebrate Hanukkah is by eating food fried in oil. Get it? Fried in oil because…oil? Right? Two of the main Hanukkah foods are potato pancakes, known as latkes, and jam-filled doughnuts, known as sufganiyot. Latkes are served with either apple sauce or sour cream, and there’s always a debate about which is the better accompaniment. (Spoiler alert: applesauce is the way to go, don’t come for me on this one!)
During Hanukkah, it’s a tradition to play dreidel. A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side. The Hebrew letters are nun, gimmel, hei, and shin, an acronym for the Hebrew phrase nes gadol hayah sham, which means “a great miracle happened there.” Dreidel is a betting game where your next bet or win depends on what letter the top lands on. Lots of people bet using Hanukkah Gelt or chocolate coins! Learn more about playing dreidel here.
How do you spell Hanukkah?
Two “n’s”? One “k”? A “ch” in front? Or just an “H?” Translating Hebrew spelling into English spelling is difficult, considering the Hebrew alphabet is completely different from the Latin one we’re used to.
The most widely accepted spelling is “Hanukkah” which is what I’ve used in this article. The favorite of traditionalists, though, is “Chanukah.” This is because, in Hebrew, the official name of the Festival of Lights begins with the letter chet, which uses a guttural “ch” sound. But then arises the issue of mispronunciation of the holiday. “Cha-nuh-kaa,” is incorrect – there’s no cha-cha involved in Hanukkah. When pronouncing the holiday correctly, it should almost be like (pardon my French here) you’re trying to hock a loogie with a guttural, throaty “ch” sound.
There are 16 accepted spelling variations of Hanukkah, so just pick your favorite.
How important is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah isn’t the most important holiday in the Jewish religion. But, likely due to its proximity to Christmas, at the end of the 20th century the holiday really blew up in North America. Hanukkah is now celebrated with gifts and decorations!
I hope you learned everything you need to know about Hanukkah! So go ahead and enjoy your latkes (with apples sauce), light your menorah, and don’t forget, miracles happen every day. Happy Hanukkah & Happy Holidays!