HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Hanukkah is one of the most-beloved Jewish holidays. Hanukkah — Hebrew for "dedication"— is also known as Chanukah or the Festival of Lights. The eight-day celebration remembers the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, Israel. This year, Hanukkah began on Sunday, November 28th and finishes on Monday, December 6th. The date of the celebration is determined by the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. Based on the lunar cycle, the Jewish calendar sees the first day of Hanukkah anywhere from late November to December on the Gregorian calendar. Over the eight nights, people celebrate Hanukkah by lighting one candle each night on the menorah. The menorah holds nine candles and is placed in the doorway or window during Hanukkah. The shammash, or servant candle, is lit first and used to help light the others. On the first night of Hanukkah, the candle on the far right is lit, and on the second night, the candle on the far left is lit. A new candle is put in the menorah from right to left each night, and lit in the reverse order (newest to oldest). A blessing is offered while each candle is lit. Further celebrations include playing dreidel (spinning top) – a tradition that began with the banning by the Greek King Antiochus IV of all Jewish practices, including reading and studying the Torah. The Jewish community began to study the Torah in secret by pretending to play dreidel. A dreidel's four sides feature the Hebrew letters Nun, Gimel, Hay and Shin. Together, they translate to "a great miracle happened there". Food fried in oil is also used to symbolize the long-lasting event. Traditional Hanukkah foods include latkes (potato pancakes), kugel (noodle or potato casserole) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts). The traditional greeting for observing Hanukkah is "Hanukkah sameach!" which means "Happy Hanukkah!" or "Chag urim sameach" which means "Happy Festival of Lights". May the blessings of the Miracle of Lights shine bright on you this holiday season!