Hanukkah 2023
Published: 8th December 2023
Hanukkah 2023
Happy Hanukkah to all our colleagues in training and host colleagues who will be celebrating Hanukkah, or Chanukah in Hebrew, is the Jewish festival of light over the next week
The word Hanukkah means 'dedication' and celebrates one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history.
The dates of Hanukkah change every year, but it will always fall in November or December and lasts for eight days.
This year, it begins on the evening of Thursday 7th December and ends on Friday 15th December.
But what was this miracle to be celebrated? And how do people mark the festival today?
What is a Hanukiah?
The holiday is also celebrated by lighting a candlestick called a Hanukiah.
It has eight branches plus the shamash, meaning helper, which is lit first and used to light the other candles.
The shamash usually sits a bit higher or lower or to the side of the other candles.
Jewish people say the eight branches represents the eight days of the miracle and they light one candle for each night of Hanukkah.
How is it celebrated?
Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar.
It is celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting as well as playing dreidel, singing songs and preparing delicious food.
It is a fun time for children, as they will receive gifts and Hanukkah money called gelt.
Some families give each other a small present on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah.
What is a dreidel?
Traditionally, there is a special game that children and adults play together. It involves a spinning top called a dreidel, which is a cube-shaped dice with a Hebrew letter on each of the four sides.
To begin the game, each player has 10-20 objects, which are often raisins or sweets. Each person puts one object in the middle and takes a turn at spinning the dreidel.
The letter that the dreidel shows when it has finished spinning determines whether they win or lose.