HANNUKAH - TRADITIONS

Lighting the Menorah To commemorate the miracle of the long-lasting oil, Jews light eight candles, one every night for eight nights, on a "Menorah." (in Hebrew, "lamp") The Hannukah Menorah, known as the Chanukiyah, contains space for each of these eight candles, plus a space for the candle known as the "Shamash," with which the other eight are lighted. On each night, the new candle is blessed and lit, and all previously lighted candles are lit; on the last night all candles are lit. Traditionally, the Chanukiyah is placed on windowsills, doorways, and outside homes to remind everyone of the miracle of Hannukah. When Jews were being persecuted, Rabbis allowed them to be lit in more private places.
Latkes, dreidels, and gelt: Oh my! Oil, oil, oil! Hannukah foods celebrate oil, also to commemorate the eight-day miracle. Among traditional treats, Jews eat "latkes" and "soofganeot," pancakes and doughnuts fried in oil, respectively.
Dreidels Kids (and adults) on Hannukah play with a four-sided spinning top known as a "dreidel" in Yiddish and a "sevivon" in Hebrew, both literally meaning "to turn." On each side of the dreidel is a Hebrew letter: Gimel (makes a 'g' sound), Shin (makes a 'sh' sound), Nun (makes an 'n' sound), and Hay (makes an 'h' sound), respectively. Each letter is an initial in the words comprising the phrase "[a] miracle happened there." In Israel, dreidels have the letter Peh (makes a 'p' sound) instead of Shin to complete the phrase "[a] miracle happened here."
Gelt When the Maccabees established an independent Jewish state, they issued coins in honor of their victory. Traditionally, the holiday commemorates this gesture through Gelt-giving. Parents give their children Gelt, or monetary coins, with which they can play the dreidel 'game.'
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