Here's everything you need to know about the Jewish Festival of Lights.
While the modern Jewish observance of Hanukkah mostly involves giving gifts, lighting candles, spinning a dreidel, and eating latkes (potato pancakes), this eight-day holiday commemorates the ancient rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, after a small band of Jewish warriors known as the Maccabees triumphed over their Greek-Syrian oppressors. Read on to learn the meaningful history behind the holiday and the best ways to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights.
If you're not already following us on social media, this is a great time to engage on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Let us know how you're celebrating Hanukkah this year.
On This Page
Hanukkah History and Traditions
18 Things You Never Knew About Hanukkah—There's a lot more to Hanukkah than "gifts for eight nights." Here's some really cool stuff you probably didn't realize about this ancient winter holiday.
6 Hanukkah Traditions That Make the 8-Night Holiday Special—The Festival of Lights promises flavors, songs, and games that delight in a celebration that dates back thousands of years.
How Many Candles Are on a Menorah?—If there are eight nights of Hanukkah, why do we light nine Hanukkah candles? Here's how to light a menorah and what the candles of Hanukkah mean.
Why Does Hanukkah Change Dates Every Year?—While Christmas falls on December 25 year in and year out, the date for Hanukkah is a moving target. Here's why.
Hanukkah Foods
100 Hanukkah Recipes to Celebrate the Season—From latkes to sufganiyot, brisket to kugel, these Hanukkah foods are essential for a traditional holiday meal.
15 Hanukkah Desserts That Will Light Up Your Tastebuds—Our favorite recipes for rugelach, kugel, babka, and all the sweetest Hanukkah hits.
How to Make Latkes, or Potato Pancakes—These step-by-step directions make it so easy to prepare Hanukkah's iconic latkes, you'll want to make them all year long.
Hanukkah Gifts and Crafts
25 Best Hanukkah Gifts Anyone Would Love to Get—Eight nights of gift-giving? We've got you covered with these meaningful modern and traditional Hanukkah gifts for everyone on your list.
15 Fun Hanukkah Crafts Kids of All Ages with Love—Grab clothespins, egg cartons, and other household craft items to make these simple, festive Hanukkah crafts for kids.
15 Best Hanukkah Decorations for the Festival of Lights—What are the best decorations for Hanukkah? These are the sparkly blues and winter whites you need to light up your home for the holiday.
Popular Videos
The Ultimate Guide to Hanukkah 2020, Source:https://www.rd.com/article/guide-to-hanukkah/
