11 Hanukkah Traditions to Celebrate the Festival of Lights

1. Lighting the Menorah

The most important of all the Hanukkah traditions is the lighting of the menorah, a nine-branched candelabra that represents the lamp (and the miracle) from the Hanukkah story told in the Talmud, a book of Jewish religious teachings. For the eight nights of Hanukkah, families come together and light a new candle of the menorah, from left to right, while saying a blessing. After a candle is lit, families often place the menorah in a window where it will fill the room with light, whilst being visible to passersby. Fun fact: Although there are only eight nights of Hanukkah, there are nine branches on a menorah because the one at the center is intended to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others. Also, if you’re wondering where oil factors into all this, we can explain that, too. While oil was once used in the wells of the menorah, the ritual changed with the times and eventually candles took the place of oil.

2. Reciting Blessings

The menorah-lighting ritual involves more than just putting flame to a wick: Jewish religious tradition involves reciting one of three Hebrew blessings, described below. 

On the first night, a special prayer is said to kick off the start of the holiday celebration and, according to reformjudaism.org, it translates to “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.” After that, two more blessings are said on the remaining nights. The first blessing, “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the Hanukkah lights,” is meant to honor the candle-lighting tradition. The second blessing honors the religious context of the holiday: “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season.” These blessings are either recited or sung by the whole family each night the menorah is lit.

3. Giving Hanukkah Gelt

Gelt, the Yiddish word for ‘money,’ refers to the foil-wrapped chocolate coins that are commonly exchanged over Hanukkah. This tasty currency is typically given as gifts and then used to play dreidel for winnings that are extra sweet.

4. Playing Dreidel

A dreidel is a tiny spinning top, inscribed with Hebrew letters on its four sides, and it’s used to play the popular Hanukkah game by the same name. Dreidel, originally a German gambling game that was adapted by the Jewish people, begins with each player contributing a portion of their stash of gelt, coins or other small objects into a central pot. The pot can then be won depending on how the dreidel falls on any given turn; the four Hebrew letters indicate whether a player must take nothing, take everything, take half or put one in. This lively game is often played over the holiday by children and adults alike.

5. Eating Fried Food

Oil may no longer be the source of light at Hanukkah, but it still has a place at the table over the holiday. Foods fried in oil—like potato latkes and jelly donuts (sufganiyot)—are a main feature of the festivities and a nod to the Hanukkah miracle being celebrated. (If you’re looking for Hanukkah recipes, you can find them here.) Note: Many an argument has come to a head over whether to serve latkes with a dollop of apple sauce or sour cream.

6. Giving Gifts

Historically, gelt was the only gift given at Hanukkah—either in the form of real coins, or the chocolate ones described above. That said, this tradition has evolved—particularly among American Jews—in response to the lavish consumerism of the competing Christian holiday. (Yep, we’re talking about Christmas.) As such, some families have chosen to include nightly gift exchanges in their Hanukkah celebrations, while others compromise and give cash to stay more in keeping with the authentic holiday tradition. In my family, for example, my parents weren't into eight nights of gifts and instead we did gifts one night.

7. Listening to Hanukkah Music

Hanukkah is a joyous holiday in the Jewish tradition with a focus on togetherness and survival, and music plays a significant part here. Aside from Ma’oz Tzur, a song typically sung after the nightly lighting of the candles, the celebration also includes a festive playlist of Hanukkah hits, including more traditional Hebrew folk songs such as “S'vivon sov sov sov,” as well as modern hits like Debbie Friedman’s ode to latkes.

Put all the things I mentioned above—Menorah lighting, latkes, driedels, gelt, music—and put it all at Bubbe's house. That's at least how I grew up celebrating Hanukkah. It's a holiday party, but swap ugly Christmas sweaters and Elf on the Shelf for ugly Hanukkah sweaters and Mensch on a Bench.

Not necessarily a Hanukkah tradition, the American Jewish tradition of eating Chinese food on Christmas dates back over a century! Since Jewish and Chinese immigrant communities in NYC lived in close proximity, it worked out that Jewish families could have a non-Christian "holiday" meal at the only restaurants that were open: Chinese restaurants. This year, since the first night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas, I will be eating my latkes with a side of dumplings.