Hanukkah reminds people that are Jewish of a time over 2,000 years ago, when they won a battle against the Greeks to practice their religion freely. The Greeks had banned all Jewish rituals. King Antiochus tried to make Jewish people bow down to a statue of him that was placed in a Jewish temple, but they refused. A small group of Jews called the Maccabees fought against them and after a three-year war, they won. However, their Jewish temple had been destroyed. But they cleaned and repaired it. Then, to celebrate their victory, they lit an oil lamp in the temple. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, but miraculously it burned for eight days. This is why the Hanukkah festival lasts for eight days and why light is really important in the celebration.
Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. It is celebrated with lighting a menorah every night and playing dreidel,singing songs, and preparing yummy food. Because they will get Hanukkah money called gelt, and receive gifts. Some families give each other small presents on each night of Hanukkah.
A Hanukkah tradition is playing a game called dreidel, which is a cube-shaped dice with a Hebrew letter on each of the four sides. When beginning the game, each player has 10-20 objects, which are often raisins or sweets. Each person puts one object in the middle and takes a turn at spinning the dreidel. The letter the dreidel lands on determines if they win or lose.
Hanukkah is a great time for eating delicious food. Some dishes have a special meaning, such as latkes ( a kind of potato fritter), pancakes and doughnuts. This is because they are fried in oil, so when they eat them they remember the miracle of the oil lasting eight days in the temple.
Work cited
Newsround. Hanukkah: What is it? How is it celebrated? What do you eat and why? CBBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/35030671.December 6, 2023
