Christmas is less than a week away and I felt inclined to talk a little about other ways of celebrating this season. Traditions are cultural and can be adapted from anyone at any time, whether it is due to marriage or a blended family, knowing how others celebrate holidays can be a great learning experience.
Hanukkah is celebrated from December 18th – December 26th this year. Hanukkah which is Hebrew for “dedication” is the festival of lights. I’m going to share some information about this holiday and how it’s celebrated.
The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with 9 branches called the menorah. Each night a candle is lit by the shammash (the ninth candle) until all eight candles are lit together on the last night of the festival.
Other festival activities include spinning the “Dreidel” which is a four-sided spinning top, and each side is imprinted with a Hebrew letter, and it is used to play in children’s games.
Holidays are defined by their food and Hanukkah is no different. Hanukkah is enjoyed by feasting on oil-based foods like latkes (potato pancake or fritter), sufganiyot (a round jelly donut) and dairy products. Check with your local grocer or specialty store to locate these delicious foods.
The festival also includes Hanukkah Gelt (foil wrapped chocolate coins) that is used for the dreidel game winnings and can also be given as gifts. Music is also a staple like most holidays and its tradition is to sing a song after the nightly lighting of the candles.
I hope this helps you understand Hanukkah a little more and like always share this information with your family, so they can be aware or our differences, so we can embrace and respect other holiday traditions. I also found a few decorating pieces at Marshalls while visiting Chicago and have the video linked, so check your local stores for item availability.
Happy Hanukkah!
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