Guide to Hanukkah for Interfaith Families

What is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah is a holiday that commemorates the Jewish recapture and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE. It's celebrated for eight days and usually falls in December. The traditional observances of Hanukkah are lighting a menorah, or ceremonial candelabra, spinning a top called a dreidel and eating fried foods. Though it is religiously minor, Hanukkah is a popular holiday. It's a happy festival in the winter, so it provides what seems to be a universally needed break from the dark and cold. It's a holiday about Jews winning a war, which is not the usual subject for a Jewish holiday. The third reason is obvious: for Jews in Christian culture, Hanukkah is the closest Jewish holiday to Christmas.

Table of Contents

The Historical Roots of Hanukkah
When Is Hanukkah, and How Should I Spell It?
Symbols and Observances of Hanukkah
   Hanukkah Menorah 
   Dreidel
Traditional Foods of Hanukkah
Christmas, Hanukkah and the Interfaith Family: Some Alternatives

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