From fried foods to OKC celebrations, here are 8 Hanukkah highlights

Hanukkah will begin at sundown on Sunday, Dec. 18, and end on Monday, Dec. 26. To shed some light on this Jewish holiday, here are eight tidbits of information and a few festive events — one for each night of Hanukkah — that you should know.

1. What does Hanukkah celebrate?

The eight-day holiday of Hanukkah commemorates the victory of a band of Jews, the Maccabees, against Greek-Syrian occupiers in 165 B.C. and the re-dedication of their temple. When the Maccabees reclaimed the temple from their oppressors, they wanted to light the eternal light, known as the N'er Tamid, which is in every Jewish house of worship. According to tradition, once lighted, the oil lamp should never be extinguished, but the Maccabees had only enough oil for one day. During Hanukkah, Jewish families celebrate the miracle that the Maccabees' lamp remained lit for eight days with the small amount of oil that remained.

2. Lighting candles on the menorah

The most widely recognized symbol of Hanukkah is a type of lamp called a menorah. Families gather around the menorah to commemorate the "miracle of the oil" by lighting a candle on the menorah at sundown each night of Hanukkah. Menorahs come in a variety of shapes and sizes and many Jewish individuals and families have one or more of the special lamps to observe Hanukkah, which is often called the "Festival of Light."

3. A lot of latkes

There are several foods fried in oil that are traditionally eaten during Hanukkah to celebrate the “miracle of the oil.” Among these foods are potato pancakes called latkes and most Hanukkah gatherings aren't considered complete without them. Along those lines, jelly doughnuts are also among the popular treats served during Hanukkah. 

4. Color the holiday

The colors of blue and white (and sometimes blue and silver) have come to be associated with Hanukkah, mostly in America. According to a variety of sources, the colors of blue and white have come to symbolize the holiday because they are the colors of the Israeli flag. Another theory is that the colors of blue and white have significant meaning in Judaism. For instance, the traditional Jewish tallit, a prayer shawl, is traditionally white or off-white with a thread of blue using dye made from a shellfish, as commanded in the Torah.

5. Holiday gifts are exchanged, but ...

Hanukkah is not the "Jewish Christmas." Jewish leaders have said that this false equivalency is sometimes made because the holiday typically occurs near Christmas, the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, while Christmas is one of the most holy days on the Christian calendar, Hanukkah does not have that same type of significance for Jewish individuals, though it is important. Perhaps another reason Hanukkah has been seen as a holiday similar to Christmas is because Jewish families sometimes exchange gifts or give small items to the children in their lives during the holiday, much like the gift giving that has become a widespread tradition of Christmas.

6. Hanukkah in the park

A giant menorah will be lit to commemorate the first night of Hanukkah during the 2022 Scissortail Chanukah Festival set for 4:30 p.m. on Sunday in Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7. Rabbi Ovadia Goldman is spiritual leader of the event's host organization, Chabad Community Center for Jewish Life & Learning. He said the event is free and open to the public. It will include carnival rides, a live brass band, a kosher doughnut food truck, exotic animals and special entertainment by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

7. Money or chocolate?

Some Jewish families prefer to give money as gifts during Hanukkah in the tradition of Hanukkah gelt (Yiddish for money). In modern times in America, Hanukkah gelt often comes in the form of chocolate coins. According to myjewishlearning.com, the precise origin of Hanukkah gelt is unclear. The most popular explanation is that coins became a symbol of the holiday because the ancient Jews' ability to make their own coins was a symbol of the independence they gained in the battles that the festival of lights commemorates.

8. Menorahs on the go

Mobile menorahs will light up the streets as Chabad-Oklahoma City continues a fun tradition the organization began several years ago. The 2022 Car Menorah Parade will be Dec. 22. Cars topped with menorahs illuminated with incandescent and LED lights will drive from Chabad-Oklahoma City, 3000 W Hefner Road, to the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, where parade participants and others will watch a menorah lighting. Hanukkah treats will also be provided, along with a chocolate coin drop, fire truck ladder rides, music and dancing. Parade participants will gather at Chabad-Oklahoma City at 5 p.m. and the parade will begin at 6 p.m. The menorah lighting in Bricktown will occur at the end of the parade. Goldman said those who do not want to participate in the parade are welcome to participate in the celebration in Bricktown. For more information, go to Chabad's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ChabadOKC.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Highlights to look for during this year's Hanukkah season