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Hanukkah Videos
Learn how to light the menorah, make delicious recipes, and much more!
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, is a festive eight-day celebration that for many people falls during the darkest, coldest season of the year.
What is Hannukah?
Hanukkah, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, is a festive eight-day celebration that for many people falls during the darkest, coldest season of the year. Also called the Festival of Lights, the holiday brings light, joy, and warmth to our homes and communities as we celebrate with candles, food, family, and friends. Light comes literally, with the lighting of an additional candle each day, and metaphorically, through a newer emphasis on charitable donations and a commitment to during the holiday. Hanukkah (alternately spelled Chanukah), meaning "dedication" in Hebrew, commemorates the victory of a small group of Jewish rebels (led by Judah Maccabee and his brothers, collectively known as “the ”) over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. and the subsequent liberation and "rededication" of the Temple in Jerusalem. Modern celebrations of Hanukkah focus on family and friends and include the lighting of the Hanukkah (also called a ); singing and playing special songs and games (); and eating foods prepared in oil including , , bimuelos (fried dough puffs) and keftes de prasas (leek patties).
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Celebrate Hanukkah with a Free Activity Book!
Download a free resource with games, puzzles, stories, and more content from Highlights Magazine that’s perfect for ages 5-12 or kids at heart.
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Classic Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
Latkes are traditionally served for Hanukkah because they are cooked in oil (to commemorate the vial of oil lasting for 8 days).
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Global Hanukkah Cuisine: What We Eat and Why
On Hanukkah we traditionally serve holiday dishes cooked in oil to commemorate the miracle of a single vial of oil lasting eight days
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A Holiday Travelogue: 9 Hanukkah Customs From Around the World
Here are nine countries around the world – some warm and some cold – that offer unique traditions that you and your family can use to spice up your Hanukkah celebrations.
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Send Hanukkah Greetings
Create free ecards to send to friends and family -- and add a recipe, video, or blessing -- to wish them a joyous Hanukkah.
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Social Justice
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Ner Shel Tzedakah: Candle of Righteousness
Hanukkah can be a time for us to rededicate ourselves to the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repair of the world.
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A Social Justice Gift Guide for Hanukkah
In search of a unique Hanukkah gift for the social justice hero in your life? Look no further than this guide for all your gift-giving needs.
What's New
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Your Hanukkah Gift-Giving Guide is Here!
Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays, partially because it gives me the opportunity to give gifts to my loved ones every night for eight nights! Gift giving with intentionality is one of my favorite ways to express affection while teaching my child about Jewish values and traditions.
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New Year, Same Me: Finding the Diamond Within
As Jews, we have the opportunity to celebrate the New Year not once, but several times. The Jewish year has four different New Year celebrations: Rosh HaShanah, Passover, Tu BiShvat, and Elul. Many Jews also celebrate the Gregorian New Year in January. That means we get five opportunities every year to do an accounting of our soul (cheshbon hanefesh) and make resolutions for growth and betterment.
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Sharing the Miracle of Jewish Joy
Conversations about Hanukkah are few and far between in our ancient texts; most of what the Talmud records about Hanukkah is within a few pages in the tractate called Shabbat. But, as is so often the case, those millennia-old words have grown in significance as we prepare for Hanukkah.