What Is Hanukkah?

Ages 3-5 Simple Explanation

You know how some of your friends might celebrate different holidays than you? Hanukkah is a special Jewish holiday that lasts for eight whole nights! That is a lot of nights for celebrating!

Hanukkah has a really cool story behind it. A long time ago, some mean people took over a special building called a temple where Jewish people prayed. The Jewish people fought hard and got their temple back! But when they went inside, they needed oil to light a special lamp, and they only had enough oil for one day. Then something amazing happened, the oil lasted for eight whole days! That is the miracle of Hanukkah.

Every night of Hanukkah, families light candles on a special candle holder called a menorah. On the first night, they light one candle. On the second night, two candles. And they keep adding one more candle each night until all eight candles are glowing! It is so pretty.

During Hanukkah, kids play a fun game with a spinning top called a dreidel, eat yummy foods fried in oil (like potato pancakes called latkes!), and sometimes get small gifts or chocolate coins. It is a happy time full of lights, family, and fun!

Ages 6-8 More Detail

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for eight nights, usually in December. It is also called the Festival of Lights because lighting candles is the most important part of the celebration. Each night, a new candle is lit on a special nine-branched candle holder called a menorah (or hanukkiah).

The story behind Hanukkah happened about 2,200 years ago. A powerful king tried to force the Jewish people to give up their religion. He even took over the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and put statues of his gods inside it. A small group of Jewish fighters called the Maccabees fought back and won, even though they were outnumbered.

When the Maccabees went to light the temple's special lamp, they found only one small jar of oil, enough for just one day. But the oil burned for eight days, giving them time to make more. Jewish people see this as a miracle from God, and that is why Hanukkah lasts for eight nights.

The menorah has nine candle spots: one for each of the eight nights, plus a helper candle called the shamash that is used to light the others. Families gather each night to light the candles, say blessings, and sing songs. Many families put their menorah in a window so others can see the lights.

Hanukkah foods are cooked in oil to remember the miracle of the oil. Latkes, which are crispy potato pancakes, are the most popular. In Israel, people eat jelly-filled donuts called sufganiyot. Kids play a game with a spinning top called a dreidel, where they try to win chocolate coins called gelt.

While Hanukkah happens around the same time as Christmas, they are completely different holidays with different meanings. Hanukkah is about the Jewish people standing up for their right to practice their religion and the miracle God performed. It is a celebration of faith, courage, and light.

Ages 9-12 Full Explanation

Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight nights, typically falling in November or December depending on the Hebrew calendar. Known as the Festival of Lights, it commemorates a pivotal moment in Jewish history when a small band of Jewish fighters reclaimed their temple and a miraculous supply of oil kept the sacred lamp burning for eight days instead of one.

The historical backdrop is important. Around 167 BCE, the Seleucid king Antiochus IV took control of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and tried to force the Jewish people to abandon their religion and adopt Greek customs and gods. A Jewish priest named Mattathias and his sons, known as the Maccabees, led a rebellion. Despite being vastly outnumbered, they defeated the Seleucid army and recaptured the temple. The word Hanukkah means "dedication," referring to the rededication of the temple.

When the Maccabees entered the temple to relight the menorah, the eternal lamp that was supposed to burn constantly, they found only enough consecrated oil for one day. Preparing new oil would take eight days. According to tradition, the small amount of oil miraculously lasted the full eight days. This is the miracle at the heart of Hanukkah and the reason the holiday lasts eight nights.

The central ritual of Hanukkah is lighting the hanukkiah, a special nine-branched menorah. Each night, one additional candle is lit using the shamash (helper candle), so that by the eighth night all candles are burning. Families recite blessings and often place the hanukkiah in a window, fulfilling the tradition of publicizing the miracle. The growing light each night symbolizes hope and the triumph of light over darkness.

Hanukkah traditions include eating foods fried in oil, like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts), as a reminder of the miracle oil. Children play with a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters standing for "A great miracle happened there." Gifts and gelt (chocolate coins or real money) are also part of the celebration, though gift-giving became more prominent in countries where Hanukkah falls near Christmas.

While Hanukkah is not considered the most important Jewish holiday (that would be Yom Kippur or Passover), it carries a powerful message about standing up for your beliefs even when the odds are against you. The Maccabees were a small group who refused to give up their identity and their faith. For Jewish people, lighting the menorah each year is a way of saying that courage, faith, and hope still matter, and that a small light can push back a lot of darkness.