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Table of Contents
Hanukkah is the annual Jewish Festival of Lights that starts on the 25th day of Kislev, as per the Jewish calendar. The date varies every year according, to the western or Gregorian calendar.
See the fact file below for more interesting Hanukkah facts or alternatively you can download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Background:
- It is an eight-day festival of religious observance by Jews across the world. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of Jewish troops led by Judah Maccabee over the Greek soldiers, the miracle of purified oil, which lit Menorah for eight days continuously, and the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
- The festival is primarily observed by the lighting of candles. It’s celebrated from 10 – 18 December in 2020, 28 November – 6 December in 2021, 18 – 26 December in 2022, and 7-15 December in 2023.
- Hanukkah is spelled in several ways. Some spell it “Chanukkah” and “Hanukah”, while the majority of people spell it “Hanukkah”. It is a Hebrew word that means dedication.
About Judas Maccabeus and the Jewish Rebels:
- Hanukkah is spelled in several ways. Some spell it “Chanukkah” and “Hanukah”, while the majority of people spell it “Hanukkah”. It is a Hebrew word that means dedication.
- Hanukkah is about remembering the second-century BCE victory of a group of Jewish rebels.
- They were led by Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, and were known as “the Maccabees”.
- The rebels were able to defeat the armies of the Seleucid Empire and gain control of Judea. The Maccabees also established the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled for over 100 years.
- Why does Hanukkah mean “dedication”? Well, because one of the major accomplishments of the Maccabees was a rededication of the Jerusalem Temple.
- Before their victory, the temple had been used for the worship of Persian and Greek deities, which greatly upset the Jews.
- The Maccabees were also responsible for expanding the boundaries of Judea and reducing the influence of what they considered pagan Hellenism.
Hanukkah Miracle:
- The miracle of Hanukkah, which is reflected in the lighting of candles and eating foods prepared in oil, comes from the story of the miracle of purified oil: When the Maccabees rescued the temple from the Seleucids, they could only find a small amount of oil in the temple.
- This was the only oil that had the seal of the priests, so the other oil was not holy.
- This meant there was only enough oil to light the Temple’s menorah for one day. Instead, by a miracle, the oil lasted eight days and nights, which was long enough for the priests to prepare and consecrate new oil.
- The Maccabees were also responsible for expanding the boundaries of Judea and reducing the influence of what they considered pagan Hellenism.
- Lighting of the Menorah is the main Hanukkah tradition. The Hanukkah candles are added onto the special candelabrum from right to left, but are lit only from left to right.
- According to Hanukkah tradition, the candles on the candelabrum should be burning before it gets dark, and should not go out until the end of the festival.
- The nine-armed candelabrum used during Hanukkah is called a hanukiah.
- Traditionally, the hanukiah is placed outside the door, but it’s common to see it in the windows of Jewish homes.
- When a candle is lit, blessings called brachot are sung or recited.
Hanukkah Observance:
- Traditional Hanukkah food is cooked during the festival. Oil is the key ingredient of the foods, which is a sign of tribute to the miracle of purified oil. In addition, families eat potato pancakes known as latkes and sweet jelly-filled donuts called sufganiyot.
- Children are encouraged to study the Torah in exchange for gifts and money. Furthermore, chocolate coins are given to children as gelt. Gelt is a Yiddish word for money.
- A game called “dreidel” is a popular Hanukkah tradition. People play this game not as a form of gambling as it is commonly played with chocolate coins.
- A dreidel is a four-sided spinning toy with Hebrew letters on all sides.
- The four letters are read as ‘Nas’, ‘Gadol’, ‘Hei’, and ‘Shin’.
- Nas stands for the word nisht, which means not or nothing. Gadol stands for the word gimel, meaning entire or whole, Hei stands for the word halb and means half, and Shin represents shtel aray, meaning put in.
- Put together, it forms a Hebrew phrase that says “a great miracle happened there.”
- This refers to the miracle of the purified oil.
- Another pastime is to learn about the Scroll of Antiochus, which contained many legends about Hanukkah.
- In Germany, huge bonfires are lit during the last night of Hanukkah. People dance and sing around the fire until the small hours of the morning. While in Yemen, children do door-to-door collections of wicks for the Menorah.
- The Hanukkah celebration is somewhat synonymous with Christmas, which is rooted in Jewish religious beliefs and is celebrated through family dinners, gift-giving, and festivities.
- Hanukkah gelt, or Hanukkah money, and gifts are often given to children during this festival and add to the sense of excitement. This giving of gifts is not to be confused with Christmas, which also occurs at the end of the year.
- The tradition of giving gelt goes back to the Eastern European custom of children giving their teachers some money to say thank you for teaching them.
- Did you know that the United States government has a history of recognizing and celebrating Hanukkah? The earliest Hanukkah link to the White House occurred in 1951 when Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion presented United States President Harry Truman with a Hanukkah Menorah. Since then, candle-lighting ceremonies have been held, a menorah is displayed in the White House, and children have been invited for a small candle-lighting ceremony.
Hanukkah Worksheets
This bundle includes 11 ready-to-use Hanukkah worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about Hanukkah, which is the annual Jewish Festival of Lights that starts on the 25th day of Kislev as per the Jewish calendar. The date varies every year according to the Western calendar.
This download includes the following worksheets:
- Hanukkah Facts
- The Festival of Lights
- All Jewish
- Hanukkah Greeting
- Hanukkah in Eight Days
- Celebrating Holidays
- What’s on the Menu?
- Dreidel
- Hanukkah Around the World
- Crossword
- Happy Hanukkah!
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Link will appear as Hanukkah Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 29, 2023
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.