Blog: What Hanukkah means to me
Written by Student Content Shaper Yael
Candles, presents, donuts and chocolate coins. These are just a few words I use when I tell my non-Jewish friends about Hannukah. But what exactly is Hanukkah? Today, I want to shed some light on this Jewish festival, telling you what it means to me.
Hannukah (or Chanukah, depending on how you want to spell it) means ‘dedication’ in Hebrew and is named because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple. It is an eight-day festival that usually happens in the winter months. Judaism follows a different calendar to the one we use in the UK, so while Hannukah always begins on the 25 Kislev, it often begins at different times in the year. Last year Hanukkah started on the 7th of December, and this year it begins on the 25th of December. This is the first time in my life that Hannukah begins on Christmas day, so I finally have an excuse to buy an advent calendar!
What is the story of Hanukkah?
The festival of Hannukah tells the story of the Maccabee family and their battle to defend Judaism. In the time of the Maccabees, the ancient Greeks had banned all Jewish rituals and tried to force the Jews to worship the Greek Gods. The Maccabees fought against this, and, after a three-year war, they defeated the Greeks. While they had won the battle, the Holy Temple had been destroyed in the fighting. The Jewish people rebuilt the Temple, but when lighting the Temple candelabra, they found only enough oil to keep it lit for just a day. Miraculously, when the candelabra was lit, the one-day supply lasted for eight days. To celebrate this miracle, the festival of Hannukah was created.
How I celebrate Hanukkah
Jews celebrate Hannukah in different ways depending on their individual traditions. But every celebration will include the lighting of the menorah; it is the heart of the festival. The menorah is a candelabrum that holds nine candles: one for each day of Hannukah, and the Shamash (attendant) which is used to light the other eight candles. Jewish festivals always begin at sunset, so the first candle is lit on the first night of Hannukah. On the second night, we will light two candles, adding a candle each night until all eight are lit on the final night.
Hannukah was my favourite festival as a child, as we played games, sang songs, and received gifts. The traditional game played at Hannukah is Dreidel. In this game, everyone is playing to win a pot of coins, nuts, or (in my family’s case) chocolate coins. A Dreidel is a spinning top with four different Hebrew letters: each letter means a participant will win or lose coins.
It is also traditional for Children to receive gifts of money during the Hannukah season. However, many families, including my own, now give gifts in this period instead. It is also customary to eat foods fried in oil. Since my family are European Jews, we eat latkes, a pancake made from grated or shredded potatoes
As Hannukah falls at different times each year, I often have to adapt how I celebrate. It was often exam season when Hannukah fell, so I regularly celebrated the festival over Facetime. But this can also lead to creative ways of celebrating! My sister was not allowed candles in her student halls, so she chose to celebrate Hannukah by crocheting a candle each day. Being away from home for Hannukah also allows me to share my culture with my non-Jewish friends, teaching them Dreidel and making latkes for my Christmas dinner with my housemates.
Historically, Hannukah celebrates the Jewish win over the Greeks and the miracle of the oil but, it is also a time for friends, family, and good food. Happy Hanukkah all!