Hanukkah celebrations: Rituals and Customs

Lavinko
7 min readSep 17, 2020

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Read About “Hanukkah” HERE. (Must Read)

Hanukkah a popular Jewish festival transliterated into English from a Hebrew word ( Hebrew is a Northwest Semitic language native to Israel ) which means ‘Dedication’.

Hanukkah is written as “חנוכה” in Hebrew and this means to Dedicate. Hanukkah is also called “Chanukah”. In fact, both are the same.

Table of Contents

  • Hanukkah Date
  • Hanukkah Celebration
  • Hanukkah Rituals
  • Hanukkah Customs

So, let’s start….

Hanukkah Date (2020)

  • Hanukkah in 2020 Begins on the 10th of December, Thursday (from sunset). In Hebrew calendar it starts on 25th of Kislev.
  • Hanukkah in 2020 Ends on the 18th of December, Friday (late night). In Hebrew calendar it ends on 2nd of Tevet.

Hanukkah Celebration

Hanukkah is celebrated in a series that includes numbers of Rituals and Customs and every Ritual and custom is important.

The Hanukkah Rituals and Customs are so mannered and people follow it to celebrate Hanukkah festival every year.

Hanukkah Rituals includes a no. of thing to do and these are done every year throughout the festival like Lighting the Menorah, Reciting the Blessings or Prayers, playing Dreidel game and lots more.

And,

Hanukkah Customs also includes many no. of things to do like eating oil-based foods such as Latkes, Sufganiyot, Beef brisket, and more. Singing Hanukkah Songs, Exchanging Gifts, Distributing Hanukkah Gelts, and more.

All of these celebrations are for memorizing the Hanukkah miracle and remembering the Jews who sacrificed their lives during the Maccabean revolt in order to take control over Jerusalem again against the great Greek armies.

Hanukkah Rituals

Hanukkah is celebrated in a series of rituals that are performed every day during its 8-day celebration. Some of the rituals that are performed are Family-based and some of the rituals are communal. Some Rituals are added on each day like blessings are meal and daily prayer.

Basically, Hanukkah is observed during Night, so there is no need of taking leave during Hanukkah from work. People go to work usually during Hanukkah but they came home back early. In Israel, Schools are closed from the 2nd day of Hanukkah and remains close for full week.

When the day passed and the time came to start the Hanukkah celebration.

Menorah Lighting

The Hanukkah celebration starts with the kindling of Hanukkah lights. During the eight-day celebration of the Hanukkah, festival Candles are lit. But, Electric lights, oil lamps, and other light source can be lit during Hanukkah where these open burning candles are not allowed like hospitals.

  • Lighting time and ways of lighting

During Hanukkah candles are lit almost half an hour after sunset, usually after this period, people start lighting the candles.

Hanukkah candles are lit using special candles called “Shamash” or Attendant candle. This candle is only use to lit the Hanukkah Menorah and Shamash is placed higher or lower from all the candles of Menorah.

Hanukkah candles are lit in a mannered way. On the 1st day of Hanukkah 1 candle is lit and this candle is lit with Shamash, so in total (we say) two candles are lit on the 1st day of Hanukkah. On the second day, 2 candles are lit, and one Shamash candle, in total 3 candles. This continues to the last day of Hanukkah on which totla 8 candles are lit.

  • Observing the candles.

The Hanukkah candles lit from the Right side. Say, 1st candle is lit on the right side of Menorah and the other candles are placed left to the 1st candle.

The Jews people light the meditating candles using Shamash, but the Sephardic custom can’t lit Shamash candles first rather than lit the meditating candles first and then lit the Shamash candles with other things like a matchstick. But, Ashkenazim Jews lit the Shamash candle first and use it to lit the all meditating candles.

  • Public Menorah

In the year 1970, public Menorah lighting becomes more visible, in America when Rabbi called for public awareness and celebration of the festival and encouraged public Menorah lighting.

Hanukkah candles are placed at the doors or the prominent window which is closer to the streets. This placing of Menorah is only for grabbing the people’s attention on Menorah and so they can memorize the miracle.

Most Hasidic groups placed Menorah near an inside doorway, not in public views and according to this tradition, lamps are placed on the opposite side from Mezuzah so that everyone who passes near to the menorah is surrounded by holiness.

After lighting the Menorah it’s time to recite the prayers or blessings.

Hanukkah Blessings

Hanukkah is incomplete without blessings. Blessings on Menorah is mandatory. Blessings are recited after lighting the Menorah. But some Jews recite the blessings before the menorah lighting.

There are usually 2 types of Blessings recited during the Hanukkah festival but on the 1st day of Hanukkah an additional prayer is recited.

» Read the blessings and detail explanation of Hanukkah celebration HERE.

Hanukkah Customs

Hanukkah Customs, means the tradition which is followed from a long time and still continues to celebrate the occasion.

Hanukkah has everything that everyone attracts towards it and people do many more things during Hanukkah or after the end of the rituals like eating of Hanukkah traditional foods which include Latkes, Sufganiyot, and more, playing with Dreidel, Distributing Hanukkah gelt, and many more.

  • Latkes (A potato pancake)

Latke (A fried potato pancake) is a traditional Hanukkah food, which is also a popular Hanukkah food and is mostly eaten and popular among Ashkenazi families.

Latkes are made with potato and everyone can make it easily at home so, it is not so popular in Israel. As we all know Hanukkah has originated from Israel and in Israel most Jews are of Sephardi and Mizrahi descent and it is mentioned above, that Latke is popular among Ashkenazi Jews not among Sephardi Jews.

  • Sufganjyot (Jelly Doughnut)

Sufganiyot, A Jam filled doughnut is called Sufganiyot. Sufganiyot is a traditional Hanukkah food. it is a popular food for Hanukkah eaten by most people like Sephardi and Israeli Jews families. Sufganiyot is also called Jam filled doughnuts which are deep-fried in oil as people commemorate the Hanukkah oil miracle.

In Israel, the majority of its population are of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jewish and these Jews have their own dishes. Latkes have also been replaced by Sufganiyot due to local factors and trade union influences.

  • Dreidel (Four sided spinning top)

Dreidel, A four-sided spinning top which is played of spun during the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah, and it is spun mostly by children. Dreidel originates from the Hebrew word sevivon from which children play during Hanukkah. Dreidel is usually made of plastic and wood but there are also many varieties of Dreidels available like made of Silver and Glass.

After lighting the Hanukkah candles and blessings are recited it is customary to play or spin the Dreidel.

On all four sides of Dreidel, a Hebrew letter is printed. All these four letters form the acronym of the phrase ( Nes Gadol Haya Sham ) which in English means “A great miracle happened there” indicating the miracle of the oil that happened in the temple.

  • Gelt (A Gold/Silver coin)

Hanukkah Gelt, A coin often distributed to children during the Hanukkah festival after blessings and dreidel. Hanukkah gelt is known as “Dmei Hanukkah” which is a Hebrew translation and in Israel, Hanukkah Gelt is known by this Hebrew translation.

Hanukkah Gelts are distributed to children after ending all the Rituals and Customs. This custom make this festival more memorable.

But,

Nowadays on Hanukkah not only the Hanukkah coin is given to children (or we say Hanukkah gelt not only means coin but it also means Chocolate gelt) but also Chocolate gelt which is wrapped in golden or silver foil and looks like a golden coin.

|| Visit “Lavinko.comfor more Hanukkah updates. ||

Suggested Read,

» Hanukkah History and Story in Detail.

Thanks for Reading ❤

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