Hanukkah is an eight-day-long celebration that begins on the 25th of the month of Kislev. The themes of Hanukkah and the month of Kislev include resilience and miracles, which can be noted in the story of Hanukkah. The story goes as follows: In the second century BCE, Antiochus IV, a Seleucid king, ruled over the land of Israel and oppressed the Jews by prohibiting them from practicing their religion. Antiochus IV’s goal was to force the Jews to abandon Judaism and assimilate into the Hellenistic culture of the Seleucids. A band of skilled Jewish fighters known as the Maccabim emerged in hopes of defeating the massive Seleucid army. After multiple battles, the Maccabim won against all odds. The Jewish army entered Jerusalem, took down the idols placed in the Beit Hamikdash by their enemies, and constructed a new menorah after their golden menorah was stolen. However, when the Jews wanted to light their new menorah, they only found enough oil to last them one day. Nevertheless, the oil lasted eight days, and to honor this miracle, we celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah.
Hanukkah is characterized by lighting the menorah every night for eight days and reciting special blessings. The menorah has nine flames, including the Shamash, which is used to light the other eight flames. In daily prayer, we recite the “Hallel” and “V’al HaNissim”. Since the miracle of Hanukkah involved oil , it is a tradition to eat foods fried in oil such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (filled donuts). On Hanukkah, it is also a tradition to play with the dreidel, a four-sided spinning object with Hebrew letters inscribed on each face. In most places, the hebrew letters on a dreidel are nun (נ), gimel (ג), hey (ה), and shin (ש), which stands for “Nes Gadol Haya Sham”, but in Israel, the four letters are nun (נ), gimel (ג), hey (ה), and pey (פ), which stands for “Nes Gadol Haya Poh.” When the dreidel lands on a certain letter, one may recieve coins, chocolate gelt, and among other prizes. This year, Hanukkah starts on the evening of Sunday, December 14, 2025, and ends on Monday, December 22, 2025. Happy Hanukkah!
