Everything you need to know about Hanukkah, the 8-day 'festival of lights'

Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal
·6 min read

Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah — is almost here. The eight-day winter “festival of lights,” begins Sunday at sundown. Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting menorahs, telling the Hanukkah story, playing dreidel and eating special foods.

And while yes, Hanukkah usually takes place in December, it is not "Jewish Christmas." Here's more about Hanukkah's history, customs and traditional recipes.

What is Hanukkah?

The Jewish Festival of Lights commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees after it was plundered by the Syrians. The eight-day wintertime “festival of lights” is celebrated with nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods, according to chabad.org.

Hanukkah in 2022 dates

This year, Hanukkah is celebrated from Sunday, Dec. 18, to Monday, Dec. 26

Why do the dates of Hanukkah change each year?

Basic potato latkes by Danielle Renov. Courtesy of kosher.com
Basic potato latkes by Danielle Renov. Courtesy of kosher.com

Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle, and its dates fluctuate with respect to other calendar systems. The first day of Hanukkah can fall anywhere between Nov. 28 and Dec. 26.

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What does Hanukkah commemorate?

Fried jelly doughnuts are a treat enjoyed on Chanukah.
Fried jelly doughnuts are a treat enjoyed on Chanukah.

In the second century BCE, Jerusalem was ruled by the Syrian-Greeks, who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs instead of mitzvah observance and belief in God, according to chabad.org. A small band of poorly armed Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of God.

When they sought to light the Temple's Menorah (the seven-branched candelabrum), they found only a single portion of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks. They lit the menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.

How is Hanukkah celebrated?

At the heart of Hanukkah is the nightly menorah lighting. The menorah, which is usually placed in a doorway or window, holds nine flames, one of which is the shamash (“attendant”), which is used to kindle the other eight lights, according to chabad.org. A candle is lit each night and by the eighth night, all eight are kindled.

Hanukkah blessings are recited before the menorah is lit, and traditional songs are sung afterward.

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In what order do you light the Hanukkah candles?

By the end of Hanukkah, all the candles on a menorah are lit.
By the end of Hanukkah, all the candles on a menorah are lit.

On the first night of Hanukkah, one candle on the far right of the menorah is lit. On the following night, the second light to the left of the first one is lit, and so on each night, moving from right to left. Each night, Jews light the newest (leftmost) candle first and continue lighting from left to right.

Is Hanukkah 'Jewish Christmas?'

No.

This is a common misconception because the holidays often fall close to each other on the calendar. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees after it was plundered by the Syrians in 164 BCE, more than a century and a half before the birth of Jesus, which is celebrated annually by Christians at Christmas, according to myjewishlearning.com

What foods are traditionally eaten on Hanukkah?

Potato pancakes (latkes) for Hanukah served with applesauce & and sour cream. Isolated with a dreidel & gelt.
Potato pancakes (latkes) for Hanukah served with applesauce & and sour cream. Isolated with a dreidel & gelt.

During the "holiday of oil," it is customary to eat foods fried in oil, including dishes like potato latke (pancake) garnished with applesauce or sour cream, and jelly-filled Sufganiyot (doughnut).

Here is a traditional latke recipe to try from Kosher.com:

Basic Potato Latkes

Serves 4. Credit: Danielle Renov, @peaslovencarrots

  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled

  • 1 large onion, peeled

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 teaspoons Haddar Kosher Salt

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon Haddar Baking Powder

  • 3 tablespoons flour

  • oil, for frying

In a large bowl combine eggs, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a food processor fitted with the “kugel” blade, add onion and potatoes. Process.

Use your hands to scoop out the potato mixture and over the sink or a bowl press your hands together to try and squeeze out as much “juice” as possible.

Add “dryer” potato mixture to the egg bowl. 

Tip: After grating the onion and first three potatoes with the kugel blade, switch to the fine “stringy” grater and do the last potato like that. This gives the latkes just the right amount of fluffiness with all the goodness of the crispy strings.

Also, instead of using hands to squeeze out the potatoes, use a large fine-mesh strainer. Press down with the back of a large spoon to push all the liquid out of the potato, then transfer grated potato and onions to a bowl to mix with all the other ingredients.

Return the completed latke mixture to the strainer so that any more liquid that accumulates can drip into a bowl. 

Repeat until all the potatoes and onion have been added. Mix until combined.

Add flour and stir until fully incorporated.

To fry: Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to fill the pan one inch high.

When the oil is hot, use a ladle to drop in large scoops of potato mixture, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Allow each latke to fry for two minutes on the first side, then flip and fry one more minute. Remove to a cooling rack or paper towel to drain and repeat with remaining batter.

Serve hot and enjoy.

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What games are traditionally played on Hanukkah?

A dreidel is used in a game of chance traditionally played at Hanukkah.
A dreidel is used in a game of chance traditionally played at Hanukkah.

It is customary to play with a “dreidel” (a four-sided spinning top bearing the Hebrew letters, nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for nes gadol hayah sham, “a great miracle happened there”). The game is usually played for a pot of coins, nuts, gelt or other stuff, which is won or lost based on which letter the dreidel lands when it is spun.

What is gelt?

Gelt: Another term for money is “gelt,” which comes from Dutch, German and Yiddish, which calls the chocolate coins gifted to kids at Hanukkah "gelt." This term dates back to 1529.
Gelt: Another term for money is “gelt,” which comes from Dutch, German and Yiddish, which calls the chocolate coins gifted to kids at Hanukkah "gelt." This term dates back to 1529.

Gelt is chocolate coins given to Jewish children during Hanukkah. Gelt is usually wrapped in gold foil, and its history can be traced back to the decision of the Hasmoneans to mint their own nation’s coins after their military victory over the Greek Syrians, according to reformjudaism.org. Gelt is often used to gamble in the game of dreidel.

Is there a greeting for Hanukkah?

According to reformjudaism.org, on Hanukkah, you can say “Hanukkah sameach!” which means “Happy Hanukkah!” or “Chag urim sameach” which means “Happy Festival of Lights.”

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com or Twitter @kirbylouisville. 

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Hanukkah 2022: Everything to know about the Jewish holiday