Hanukkah, otherwise known by some as the “the deep-fried food holiday”, is a multi-day Jewish holiday festival that comes around once a year in the late fall.
It’s a fun holiday, with none of the culinary prohibitions which can accompany other Jewish holidays, some of which are perhaps better said to be “solemnly observed” rather than “celebrated”. Hanukkah, in contrast, is definitely a time of relaxed fun and celebration. It celebrates the account of an oil lamp in a temple being lit and not burning out (see History section below).
#Hanukkah #Chanukah
See also: Jewish Food, Kosher
Bringing some Funukkah to Hanukkah
As part of the celebrations, a special candle-holder called a “hanukkiah” or “menorah” is lit, and special foods are made and enjoyed. Other customs involve games, songs, meals, and gifts for children. A popular children’s game is spinning a four-sided top called a “dreidel”.
“I have a little dreidel. I made it out of clay.
And when it’s dry and ready, oh dreidel I shall play.
Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay.
And when you’re dry and ready, oh dreidel we shall play.”
Children are also often given as game prizes some chocolate money wrapped in gold-coloured foil called “gelt” (from the German “Geld”, meaning money). Some people (who’ve presumably sneaked some of their children’s prize money to eat for themselves) kvetch that it’s typically substandard chocolate, and stale to boot: “Somehow, the world’s entire gelt supply seems to have been manufactured in 1993, so even if you do win, your reward is stale, filmy-white, sub-par chocolate.” [1]Green, Emma. Hanukkah, Why? Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic. 9 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/hanukkah-sucks-amirite/419649/
Hanukkah celebrations
In Israel, Hanukkah is a national holiday. There’s a torch race Israel to bring a burning torch to the site of the old Temple in Jerusalem, where the chief rabbi uses it to light the first candle for the festive period of a giant outdoor candle holder called a “menorah”.
It’s the most visible and well-known Jewish celebration in the United States. And so far, it’s really the only big holiday that Jews buy a lot of things for: Passover and Yom Kippur remain relatively uncommercialized in comparison.
People in fact complain that Hanukkah is too commercialized, but the complaints started back in the late 1800s, and are now ironically part of the tradition.
At some public lighting ceremonies there are carnivals, music, and of course street food. The core of the crowds may be primarily Jewish, but of course many others will be attracted by the festive atmosphere and food.
A National Menorah is lit in Washington, D.C., a tradition first started by Jimmy Carter in 1979. But there was a glitch in that first lighting:
“There was one problem. The silver menorah, shielded from the wind by a tall, narrow glass enclosure, was too deep to be easily lit with a tiny match. A Secret Service agent hurried to a Scandinavian design store one block from the White House called the Midnight Sun, owned by my mother, a Jew who well understood the moment’s importance. She retrieved a box of Swedish eight-inch-long matches from a display case, and the agent hustled back to Lafayette Square… She didn’t witness the lighting but said the agent returned the box of matches to her… A few years ago, as our family prepared to sell my mother’s home, I found among her belongings a large book of matchsticks. On the front, it still had a label that said the Midnight Sun. On the back was an inscription: “Best Wishes. (Thanks!) To the Kranish’s. Jimmy Carter 12/79 ” [2]Kranish, Michael. Carter would make history lighting a Hanukkah menorah. But first, he needed a longer match. Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post. 10 December 2020. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/12/10/jimmy-carter-hanukkah-menorah-white-house/ .
Stuart Eizenstat, who was Carter’s domestic adviser, said, “It [was] the symbol of American Jewry coming of age with this holiday being much more public.” [3]Kranish, Michael. Carter would make history lighting a Hanukkah menorah. But first, he needed a longer match. Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post. 10 December 2020. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/12/10/jimmy-carter-hanukkah-menorah-white-house/ .
While Christmas celebrations have “Elf on a Shelf”, for Hanukkah, there’s “Mensch on a bench”. The Mensch is the man who “sat on a bench in the Temple and made sure the oil didn’t burn down”. [4]Green, Emma. Hanukkah, Why? Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic. 9 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/hanukkah-sucks-amirite/419649/
Hanukkah and Oil
As far as food goes, there are many different food traditions depending on which exact Jewish culinary tradition one follows, but they all typically involve oil in some way.
Deep-fried, cream or jam-filled doughnuts known as “sufganiyot” are popular, as are potato pancakes known as “latkes“. Applesauce and sour cream are traditional accompaniments for the latkes. The latkes tradition is more tied to Jews of Eastern Europe heritage. Jews with other different culinary heritages may make other fried foods such as fried fish or fried sweet cakes such as “frittelle di Chanukah“, which are yeast-risen, anise-flavoured fritters made in Italy.
And in Israel, Hanukkah may be a festival of light, but it’s also a festival of Israeli-produced olive oil, and producers have not been slow to harness the occasion to build an association between the season and their products. [5]Liphshiz, Cnaan. Counterfeiters take advantage of popularity of olive oil menorahs. Jerusalem, Israel: The Jerusalem Post. 25 November 2021. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/counterfeiters-take-advantage-of-popularity-of-olive-oil-menorahs-686920 Some firms in Israel will give employees bottles of premium Israeli olive oil as a Hanukkah gift. [6]Liphshiz, Cnaan. Counterfeiters take advantage of popularity of olive oil menorahs. Jerusalem, Israel: The Jerusalem Post. 25 November 2021. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/counterfeiters-take-advantage-of-popularity-of-olive-oil-menorahs-686920
The Hanukkiah (aka Menorah)
The centre of the holiday is a candle-stick holder called the “hanukkiah” (plural “hanukkiot”), aka “menorah” with nine candle holders on it, four on each side and one (traditionally) in the middle (called the “shamash candle”). Blessings and scripture readings are recited.
The ancient temple menorahs had seven branches to them. The hanukkiah ones have eight:
“After the destruction of the Second Temple, it was prohibited to make replicas of the Temple’s seven-branched menorah. Thus the hannukiot of today have eight branches, plus a shamash.” [7]Waysman, Dvora. Hanukkah’s botanical link to Israel’s past. Jersulem, Israel: The Jerusalem Post. 25 November 2021. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.jpost.com/judaism/jewish-holidays/hanukkahs-botanical-link-to-israels-past-687020
Traditionally, oil was used but in the 20th century candles became a popular replacement:
“Why candles? Eight candles on the menorah, which for Hanukkah is called a hanukkiyah, represent the eight days of oil burning in the Second Temple. The ninth candle, generally in the center of the hanukkiyah, is used to light the others. Using oil today would be hazardous, so beginning around the 1920s in North America, candles were used as a replacement. In some European cities, this didn’t change until much later.” [8]Kohn, Keith W. Hanukkah primer: What you need to know about the eight-day Jewish holiday that begins Sunday. Palm Springs, Nevada: Desert Sun. 29 November 2018. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/health/2018/11/29/hanukkah-primer-what-you-need-know-8-day-jewish-holiday/2080656002/
Note that the Hanukkah accounts don’t actually say that the original oil was olive, and while it’s likely, it’s just assumed.
In Israel, there’s been a movement to return to olive oil hanukkiot. Not only does it seem more traditional and authentic, but it’s also (handily) a way to celebrate Israel’s burgeoning olive oil industry.
There’s no requirement that the oil used be olive oil, or that it be pure, or that it be kosher, even:
“If you are doing an oil version of a menorah, olive oil is the preferred oil, but it doesn’t have to be kosher.” [9]Tendler, Akiva. Is this Olive Oil Permitted for Use for the Chanukah Menorah? New York, NY: Orthodox Union Kosher. 11 December 2017. Accessed October 2021 at
https://oukosher.org/blog/consumer-kosher/olive-oil/
Still, people will often spend a lot of money to get top brand, pure olive oil for the occasion, even though they aren’t going to eat any of it, just burn it.
To be able to offer lower prices in a competitive marker, some oil vendors may fraudulently dilute their olive oil with other cheaper oils such as canola oil or soy oil without disclosing this on the product labels. Granted, this doesn’t affect the burning qualities, or cause any strict religious upset, but if for nothing else, people are upset because they thought they were paying for pure. As a solution, some people will now buy only certified artisanal brands to make sure they are getting the real thing.
When lighting a menorah candle on a Friday, you light the candle before sunset, being sure that the candle for that day is big enough to burn for about an hour and a half:
“It is forbidden to light a fire on Shabbat, which extends from sunset on Friday evening until nightfall of Saturday night. Therefore, on Friday afternoon, light the menorah before the Shabbat candles. Shabbat candles are traditionally lit eighteen minutes before sundown. Use additional oil or larger candles for the Friday night Chanukah lights, as they must remain lit until one half hour after nightfall — approximately 1½ hours after the Friday afternoon lighting time. Note: The standard 30-minute Chanukah candles cannot be used on Friday.” [10]How to Light the Menorah. Chabad. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/103868/jewish/How-to-Light-the-Menorah.htm
The next day, you light your next menorah candle AFTER shabbat has ended — again, because of the no making fire rule while the shabbat is still underway.
Recipes
Our Best Hanukkah Recipes (New York Times)
Weight Watcher Friendly Hannukah Recipe Roundup (Weight Watchers)
Hannukah in the Middle Ages
The following foods were popular in the middle ages in Europe to celebrate Hanukkah with:
- Cheese: comes from book of Judith, where she served salty cheese to the Assyrian general, Holofernes;
- Sonchkes / Sufganyiot / Buñuelos, or other foods fried in oil: to acknowledge the oil that kept burning in the lamps;
- Honey: representing the sweetness of the words of God;
- Itrui: a pasta similar to vermicelli, that was boiled and eaten with honey;
- Levivot: Pancakes made with flour, sometimes with carrot and onion, and oil, and fried in oil. These were made in the middle ages before latkes. Latkes are made with potato and of course, potato was unknown until the discovery of the Americas.
History
The Hanukkah festival “commemorates the Maccabean (Hasmonean) victories over the forces of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the rededication of the Temple on Kislev 25, 164 BCE… The practice is enshrined in the Talmud (Shabbat 21b), which describes the miracle of the oil in the Temple. According to the Talmud, when Judas Maccabeus entered the Temple, he found only a small jar of oil that had not been defiled by Antiochus. The jar contained only enough oil to burn for one day, but miraculously the oil burned for eight days until new consecrated oil could be found, establishing the precedent that the festival should last eight days. ” [11]Hanukkah. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 30 November 2021. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanukkah
Oddly enough, the Biblical books that most of the details for the broader story comes from are 1 and 2 Maccabees, which while present in the Catholic version of Old Testament, are not part of the Hebrew Old Testament, but the story is briefly mentioned in the Torah. [12]Green, Emma. Hanukkah, Why? Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic. 9 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/hanukkah-sucks-amirite/419649/
The burning flame, miracle, however, isn’t mentioned in either of those sources. It’s mentioned in a footnote written hundreds of years later: “In the middle of the Talmudic tractate discussing the proper way to light candles on the Sabbath, as a footnote that seems almost an afterthought, the rabbis included a discussion of Hanukkah candle-lighting along with a telling of the miracle of the oil.” [13]Bleyer, Jennifer. Five myths about Hanukkah. Washington, D.C. The Washington Post. 2 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-hanukkah/2015/12/02/2ea6fc3c-93ae-11e5-8aa0-5d0946560a97_story.html
Hanukkah festival candles were at first lit outside, or at least in a way to be visible from outside, as public commemoration of the candle miracle:
“The original purpose for placing the Hanukkah candles outside the house at its entrance was the public manifestation of the miracle.. [or] by the doorway of one’s house from the outside… It is an obligation to place the Hanukkah candles within a handbreadth from the entrance… If one lives on an upper floor he should place it in a window”” [14]Ajdler, J. Jean. The Order of Lighting the Hanukkah Candles: The Evolution of a Custom and the Influence of the Publication of the Shulhan Arukh. Hakirah, The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought, Vol. 7 (2009). Page 209
Later, it became an indoor, private, family ceremony, to avoid unduly attracting the attention of intolerant people:
“The Rabbinical authors of the Middle Ages abandoned the Talmudic ritual of lighting the Hanukkah candles outside the home in response to the intolerant Christian society of their time.” [15]Ajdler, J. Jean. The Order of Lighting the Hanukkah Candles: The Evolution of a Custom and the Influence of the Publication of the Shulhan Arukh. Hakirah, The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought, Vol. 7 (2009) . Page 205
The order in which the candles are lit actually evolved over time, and differed in various places. In the thirteenth century, the proper order became a subject of great debate. In the end, a method proposed by R. Joseph ben Solomon Colon, Maharik (c.1420-1480) in France, and adopted by the book of legal codes called the “Shulhan Arukh”, won out and is the one used by most people today.
“The festival, which is celebrated between late November and later December, gained more prominence in the Middle Ages, becoming one of the most important dates on the Jewish calendar. While early texts reveal little information about this festival, by the medieval period more literature emerged, such as the Scroll of Antiochus, which provided new legends and details about the event. ” [16]Hanukkah in the Middle Ages. Medievalists.net. 21 December 2011. Accessed October 2021 at http://www.medievalists.net/2011/12/hanukkah-in-the-middle-ages/
Hanukkah grew to even greater prominence in the United States in the 1900s, some say, as a counterpoint to Christmas. The growing emphasis on food, celebrations and gifts also tied in with Jews who had arrived impoverished in the New World having achieved enough financial stability that they could relax one time of year at least and celebrate a bit. And, they were in lands where freedom of religion gave them the feeling of safety to bring Hanukkah back out into the public realm.
Language notes
There’s no official way to transliterate Hanukkah into English, but Hanukkah seems to currently be the most popular option. The important thing to remember is that whatever transliteration you use should have eight letters in it.
How to say “Happy Hanukkah”
- Hebrew: Hanukkah Sameach (חַג חֲנוּכָּה שַׂמֵחַ)
- Yiddish: Frilichen Chanukah
Sources
Ajdler, J. Jean. The Order of Lighting the Hanukkah Candles: The Evolution of a Custom and the Influence of the Publication of the Shulhan Arukh. Hakirah, The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought, Vol. 7 (2009) . Pp 205 – 207.
All about Hanukkah — the 8 night Jewish festival of lights. Canadian Broadcasting Commission. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/whats-the-story-hanukkah
Alvarez, Sandra. 5 Medieval Hanukkah Foods. Medievalists.net. 5 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at http://www.medievalists.net/2015/12/5-medieval-hanukkah-foods/
Bleyer, Jennifer. Five myths about Hanukkah. Washington, D.C. The Washington Post. 2 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-hanukkah/2015/12/02/2ea6fc3c-93ae-11e5-8aa0-5d0946560a97_story.html
Coldiron, Roxanna. The Origin of the Hanukkah Menorah, Explained. Martha Stewart Magazine. 18 October 2019. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.marthastewart.com/2139639/hanukkah-menorah-origin
Dreidel, latkes and more: Six words to explore the Hanukkah story and traditions. BBC. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zn3xqfr
Forgasz, Rebecca. The story of Hanukkah: how a minor Jewish holiday was remade in the image of Christmas. The Conversation. 22 December 2019. Accessed October 2021 at https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-hanukkah-how-a-minor-jewish-holiday-was-remade-in-the-image-of-christmas-127620
Gittleman, Stacy. The mitzvah of displaying a Chanukah menorah publicly. Detroit, Michigan: The Detroit Jewish News. 15 November 2017. Accessed October 2021 at https://thejewishnews.com/2017/11/15/mitzvah-displaying-chanukah-menorah-publicly/
Green, Emma. Hanukkah, Why? Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic. 9 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/hanukkah-sucks-amirite/419649/
Liphshiz, Cnaan. Counterfeiters take advantage of popularity of olive oil menorahs. Jerusalem, Israel: The Jerusalem Post. 25 November 2021. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/counterfeiters-take-advantage-of-popularity-of-olive-oil-menorahs-686920
Silverman, Leah. 12 Facts About Hanukkah You Probably Didn’t Know. New York, NY: Town & Country Magazine. 10 December 2020. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g13787924/hanukkah-facts-history-story/
References
↑1 | Green, Emma. Hanukkah, Why? Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic. 9 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/hanukkah-sucks-amirite/419649/ |
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↑2 | Kranish, Michael. Carter would make history lighting a Hanukkah menorah. But first, he needed a longer match. Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post. 10 December 2020. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/12/10/jimmy-carter-hanukkah-menorah-white-house/ |
↑3 | Kranish, Michael. Carter would make history lighting a Hanukkah menorah. But first, he needed a longer match. Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post. 10 December 2020. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/12/10/jimmy-carter-hanukkah-menorah-white-house/ |
↑4 | Green, Emma. Hanukkah, Why? Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic. 9 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/hanukkah-sucks-amirite/419649/ |
↑5 | Liphshiz, Cnaan. Counterfeiters take advantage of popularity of olive oil menorahs. Jerusalem, Israel: The Jerusalem Post. 25 November 2021. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/counterfeiters-take-advantage-of-popularity-of-olive-oil-menorahs-686920 |
↑6 | Liphshiz, Cnaan. Counterfeiters take advantage of popularity of olive oil menorahs. Jerusalem, Israel: The Jerusalem Post. 25 November 2021. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/counterfeiters-take-advantage-of-popularity-of-olive-oil-menorahs-686920 |
↑7 | Waysman, Dvora. Hanukkah’s botanical link to Israel’s past. Jersulem, Israel: The Jerusalem Post. 25 November 2021. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.jpost.com/judaism/jewish-holidays/hanukkahs-botanical-link-to-israels-past-687020 |
↑8 | Kohn, Keith W. Hanukkah primer: What you need to know about the eight-day Jewish holiday that begins Sunday. Palm Springs, Nevada: Desert Sun. 29 November 2018. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/health/2018/11/29/hanukkah-primer-what-you-need-know-8-day-jewish-holiday/2080656002/ |
↑9 | Tendler, Akiva. Is this Olive Oil Permitted for Use for the Chanukah Menorah? New York, NY: Orthodox Union Kosher. 11 December 2017. Accessed October 2021 at https://oukosher.org/blog/consumer-kosher/olive-oil/ |
↑10 | How to Light the Menorah. Chabad. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/103868/jewish/How-to-Light-the-Menorah.htm |
↑11 | Hanukkah. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 30 November 2021. Accessed December 2021 at https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanukkah |
↑12 | Green, Emma. Hanukkah, Why? Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic. 9 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/hanukkah-sucks-amirite/419649/ |
↑13 | Bleyer, Jennifer. Five myths about Hanukkah. Washington, D.C. The Washington Post. 2 December 2015. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-hanukkah/2015/12/02/2ea6fc3c-93ae-11e5-8aa0-5d0946560a97_story.html |
↑14 | Ajdler, J. Jean. The Order of Lighting the Hanukkah Candles: The Evolution of a Custom and the Influence of the Publication of the Shulhan Arukh. Hakirah, The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought, Vol. 7 (2009). Page 209 |
↑15 | Ajdler, J. Jean. The Order of Lighting the Hanukkah Candles: The Evolution of a Custom and the Influence of the Publication of the Shulhan Arukh. Hakirah, The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought, Vol. 7 (2009) . Page 205 |
↑16 | Hanukkah in the Middle Ages. Medievalists.net. 21 December 2011. Accessed October 2021 at http://www.medievalists.net/2011/12/hanukkah-in-the-middle-ages/ |