Hanukkah
Your guide to Hanukkah history, traditions, recipes, and more!
Quick Facts
Meaning of Name: “Dedication”
Transliterations: Channukah, Chanuka, Chanukah, Chanukkah, Hannukah, Hanuka, Hanukah, Hanukka. You know what? Spell it however you want.
English Name: Festival of Lights
Jewish Calendar Dates: 25 Kislev to 2 Tevet
Duration: Eight days
Origin of Hanukkah: The victory of the Maccabees, 165 BC.
Dates
Hanukkah starts at sundown on
December 14, 2025
and ends at sundown on
December 22, 2025
History
Hanukkah, meaning “Dedication,” recalls a dark time in the history of our people and our miraculous deliverance from that darkness. This eight-day holiday commemorates the Maccabees’ victory over the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes when God preserved and protected His people through the heroic actions of this small band of Jewish guerrilla fighters.
Traditions
On Hanukkah, we light the menorah each night at sunset and recite special blessings. We also give gifts, sing songs, play dreidel, and eat lots of great food.
Hanukkah Songs
Hanukkah, meaning “Dedication,” recalls a dark time in the history of our people and our miraculous deliverance from that darkness. This eight-day holiday commemorates the Maccabees’ victory over the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes when God preserved and protected His people through the heroic actions of this small band of Jewish guerrilla fighters.
Lighting the Menorah
Whether you use a modern menorah and real candles, or the 1960s white plastic ones with orange electric lights, you can count down the holiday with an extra light each day for a total of eight.
Playing Dreidel
The ever-popular spinning game, where four Hebrew letters decide if you’ll get more gelt (chocolate coins) or not! It’s not complicated—but if you need a refresher or a quick way to get your guests in the game, check out this illustrated guide.
Gift Giving
Some families give gifts on each night of Hanukkah, which can indeed make for eight crazy nights!
Hanukkah Recipes
Hanukkah wouldn’t be a celebration without the food! It’s traditional to eat foods made with oil on Hanukkah because of the miracle of the oil. Here are three of our favorite recipes for this holiday to enjoy.
Interfaith Celebrations
Find Harmony at
Hanukkah and Christmas
Jewish Gentile Couples can help you find harmony in the holiday season!
Moms & Tots Interfaith Hanukkah
This is a special interfaith holiday celebration for children five and under! At this 30-minute event, your tot will learn the story of Hanukkah, dance to some holiday music, and enjoy the traditional lighting of the Hanukkah candles!
8 Tips for Involving Your Non-Jewish Partner This Hanukkah
Hanukkah in the New Testament
As Jewish followers of Jesus, we know that no light shines brighter than the hope we have in our Messiah, the “light of the world.” He came as a servant, the shamash to illuminate our world.
“Then came Hanukkah; it was winter in Jerusalem. Yeshua was walking in the Temple around Solomon’s Colonnade.”
(John 10:22–23 TLV)
