What do you know about Hanukkah?

Journal QUICK-WRITE

Hanukkah

The Festival of Lights

When is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah begins at the 25th day of Kislev, the third month of the Jewish calendar. This year Hanukkah began at sundown on the evening of December 1, 2010. (So when does it end?)

The Menorah

On each night of Hanukkah, the menorah is lit. The menorah symbolizes the burning light in the temple, as well as marking the eight days of the Hanukkah festival.

There Are Many Different Spellings of Hanukkah

Chanuka Chanukah Chanukkah Channukah Hanukah Hannukah Hanukkah Hanuka Hanukka Hanaka Haneka Hanika Khanukkah

The Menorah

The Menorah or candle holder is a really important

part of the tradition of Hanukkah. It is why we call the holiday "the festival of

light.” We light the menorah from the left side to the right

side.

We place the candles in the menorah from the right to the left. When we light the menorah we say the blessings for the candles.

There are many different styles of menorot (plural for menorah). In most cases the Shamash (the helper candle) is in the middle or to the left side. Some are made for burning oil and some for candles.

How is this candle lighting different than the Kwanzaa candles?

?

Latkes

Many traditional Hanukkah foods are cooked in oil, in remembrance of the oil that burned in the temple. Latkes, or potato pancakes are a favorite food at Hanukkah.

Dreidel

The dreidel is associated with Hanukkah. It is a four-sided spinning top. Each side is engraved with a different Hebrew letter: The letters mean Nes Gadol Haya Sham—"A great miracle happened there"

The Dreidel

The four sides of the dreidel, from right: nun, gimmel, hey, and shin

"Oh Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay.And when its dry and ready, Oh dreidel I shall play."

Children's Hanukkah Song

                        

The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a different Hebrew letter on each side.

The word for dreidel in Hebrew S'veevon.

Dreidel is a Yiddish word taken from the German word drehen (which means to turn).

Dreidels can be made of any materials.

And now…

We’re going to take a look at a video posted on the History Channel’s website.Click here:

http://www.history.com/videos/history-of-hanukkah#history-of-hanukkah

Here’s one more…

Here’s some info about Hanukkah from the perspective of a rabbi (a Jewish priest):

http://www.history.com/videos/history-of-hanukkah#ask-a-rabbi-hanukkah

Happy

Shalom!

(Hebrew for “peace”)