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Hanukkah has mainly been described by its two self-explanatory characteristics : Festival of Lights, since the flame in the temple burned miraculously for eight days, and Feast of Dedication, since the temple was rededicated after being desecrated. Hanukkah is celebrated from 25 Kislev - 2 Tevet, according to the Jewish calendar, which is lunar, so it falls on different dates each year. This year Hanukkah begins Thursday evening, December 21, 2000 and ends on Friday evening, December 29. Remember that in the Bible, the day begins at sundown. Each evening at sundown, the Hanukkah menorah is lit. The menorah has 9 candles. The one in the middle (called the Shamash - or Servant Candle) is used to light all the others. The other eight (4 on each side, and a little lower than the Shamash) are for each of the eight days that the Temple flame miraculously burned. On the first night, only the far right candle is lit. The second night, two candles are lit starting at the far right. The third night, three candles, and so it goes until the eighth and final night when all eight candles are lit. They are lit for a half hour, during which we do no work, but instead we remember the work of God (His miracles and providence) and praise Him. |
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The children play Hanukkah games, like spin the Dreidel. This four sided top has one Hebrew Letter on each side: Nun, Gimel, Hay, Shin. These stand for the Hebrew phrase, "Nes Godol Hayah Sham," meaning "A Great Miracle Happened There." |
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But other than the Menorah and the Dreidel, Hanukkah has several other age-old customs as well. Hanukkah is accompanied by a rich set of traditional foods, games and rituals. An early custom was the giving of money to children (called ‘gelt‘, and sometimes made from chocolate). Later, in an effort to be equal and not deprive their children, began also to give presents, not just one present, but one for each night, with each night's gift more grand than the one before. The children also enjoy exchanging gifts. Savings bonds, checks, and small chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil - these are the modern incarnations of the traditional gift known as Hanukkah gelt. Gelt is a Yiddish term for money. Although it is an old and cherished custom, the roots of gelt giving go back much further than the Middle Ages, the era in which the custom is usually said to have originated. Even though it is not mentioned in neither the Talmud nor the Shulhan Arukh (the Code of Jewish Law), the importance of coins in the history of the Hasmonean period is undeniable. But whatever the source for Hanukkah gelt, it is always a wonderful tradition to put some of what you receive into a tzedakah box in order to share your good fortune with those in need or for a good cause. |
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The most popular Hanukkah foods are those that use oil, like the traditional Potato Latkes. We eat latkes (potato pancakes) because they are cooked in oil and thus remind us of the miracle of the single cruse [pitcher of oil]. Rabbi Solomon Freehof, a great contemporary Jewish scholar, has hypothesized that the eating of latkes may have grown out of an old custom of eating milchig (dairy) foods on Hanukkah. Milchig foods evolved into milchig pancakes and then into latkes, possibly because the main potato crop became available about the time of Hanukkah. No one knows for certain how the association began, but for anyone who feasts on latkes at Hanukkah time, a historical rationale is unnecessary. |
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The most popular themes throughout the Hanukkah dishes are the use of oil. The oil reminds us of the oil, which burned eight days instead of one. Latkes are potato pancakes made from grated potatoes mixed with eggs, onions, and flour, then fried in vegetable oil. The texture is crispy on the outside and tender within. They're served hot and often dipped in applesauce or sour cream. Originally, the pancakes were made of cheese. From the custom of eating cheese delicacies grew the custom of eating pancakes of all kinds. During the Middle Ages, Jews explained this custom by connecting it with the story of Judith which they linked with the story of Hanukkah. Judith, according to legend, was a daughter of the Hasmoneans. She fed cheese to the leader of the enemies of the Jews. He was made thirsty by the cheese and began to drink much wine. When he grew quite drunk she cut off his head. For this reason, it was said, Jews eat cheese delicacies on Hanukkah. The different indispensable delicacies of Hanukkah, other than these Latkes are Hanukkah Dough Balls, Marshmallow Dreidels, Sufganiyot etc. |
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The Maccabbee soldiers ate latkes made from cheese, vegetables, or fruits, which were brought to them on the battlefields. However, they didn't eat potato latkes, as potatoes weren't available until the 16th century. Again, there is the ‘Sufganiyot‘. These are jelly doughnuts without the hole. They're dropped into hot oil without being shaped and come out in odd, funny shapes, then covered in powdered sugar and/or cinnamon. Sufganiyot is particularly popular in Israel, where they are sold on stands in the streets over a month before Hanukkah begins. To know about cooking these recipes, please explore through the recipe section of Hanukkah. |
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Other than foods, there is also an interesting inclusion in the present day Hanukkah. G. F. Handel, who composed "The Messiah," also wrote "Judas Maccabeus," which is popular among the Jewish community during Hanukkah. |
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