Hanukkah, or Festival of Lights, is a holiday with a long tradition that celebrates an important event in Jewish history. And with it being so old (Hanukkah originated two hundred years before Christmas!), it's no wonder that the celebration is surrounded by tons of interesting attributes.
And we're very happy to be the ones to reveal these interesting facts about Hanukkah in our article!
Right, first of all, these Hannukah facts will tell you a bit more about its origins and the important event from which it stems. And you'll probably be interested to know that Hanukkah, at least from a religious standpoint, is not a Jewish version of Christmas.
Sure, there's a lot of gift-giving (and receiving, naturally) involved, but the reason behind it isn't the birth of Jesus, Santa Claus, or anything else that the Christians associate winter holidays with. Piques your interest, right?
Okay, besides the facts about Hannukkah's origins, you'll also get to learn about playing the mythical dreidel, lighting a menorah, and loads and loads of delicious traditional food served during the festivities. And since it's an overall fun festivity, there are also some fun facts about Hanukkah thrown into the mix.
So, ready to learn some Hanukkah facts and history? If so, you know where to find them - our selection of interesting facts is just a smidgen down below! Once you get there, be sure to give these cool facts your vote and Hanukkah Sameach!
#21 The Popular Dreidel, Often Known As A Four-Sided Spinning Top, Was Created As A Distraction
Jewish studies were forbidden by the Greek-Syrians, so they pretended to be playing games while studying their Torah by spinning dreidels.
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#22 Hanukkah Can Align With Other Holidays
Hanukkah doesn't fall on the same day each year since the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar. The celebration always begins on the 25th of Kislev, which corresponds to November or December on the Gregorian calendar, the same time as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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#23 "I Have A Little Dreidel" Was Written By The Brother Of Another Famous Jewish Composer
Samuel E. Goldfarb, whose family has substantially influenced contemporary Jewish music, wrote the most well-known Hanukkah song in the English language, "I Have a Little Dreidel." The tune for "Shalom Aleichem," a traditional Shabbat hymn, was written by his brother, Rabbi Israel Goldfarb.
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#24 It's Possible That The First Hanukkah Was Just A Delayed Sukkot Celebration
According to My Jewish Learning, they were unable to observe the eight-day holiday of Sukkot during the Maccabean Revolt. As a result, the celebration was delayed until after Jerusalem was retaken and the Temple was purified. In reality, Sukkot is a very significant Jewish holiday that is marked by food, prayers, and festivities.
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#25 The "Maccabee Bar," A Hanukkah-Themed Pop-Up Bar, Debuted In Boston In 2018
In the Somerville neighborhood in 2019, Bar made a second appearance. With their own versions called "8 Crazy Nights" and "Get Lit," respectively, Chicago and Austin, Texas, also joined the party. Sadly, Pop-ups have mainly been eliminated for 2020 due to the coronavirus epidemic.
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#26 A Hanukkah Bush Is Not Actually A Thing
Nevertheless, a lot of Jewish kids get to decorate these tiny trees because our parents feel horrible that all of our non-Jewish peers get to do so. It's a particularly North American practice, and rabbis typically forbid it.
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#27 Apart From Tuesdays, Hanukkah Can Begin On Any Day Of The Week
To avoid falling on the Shabbat, Jewish festivals like Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah can only fall on specific days of the week. Hanukkah has fewer restrictions, though, and according to Chabad, it can start on any day of the week besides Tuesday. Cheshvan, the month that comes before Kislev, can have either 29 or 30 days, which explains why.
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#28 The Traditional Hanukkah Lamp Has Different Names, Depending On Where You're From
While, in the United States, it's most commonly referred to as a menorah, the traditional Hanukkah candelabra is called different things depending on where your ancestors hail from. For example, Jews of Central or Eastern European call it "Ashkenazi" and descendants of Jewish communities in the Middle East from biblical times into the modern era - "Mizrahi". and etc.
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