Hanukkah - Chag Sameach!
- Written byStudent Communications
- Published date 14 December 2025
This weekend was the first day of Hannukah, an 8-day Jewish festival marking the victory of the Maccabees and is celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev (the 9th month of the Hebrew calendar). Hanukkah is observed for 8 nights and days and is marked by the lighting of another candle of a hanukiah on each of the days.
This year Hanukkah begins on 14 December and ends on 22 December.
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah in Hebrew, is the Jewish festival of light. The word means ‘dedication’ and celebrates one of the greatest miracles in the Jewish faith.
The festival reminds Jewish people of a time over 2,000 years ago, when the Jews won a battle against the Seleucidian Greeks to practise their religion freely. The Greeks had banned all Jewish rituals. King Antiochus tried to make Jewish people bow down in front of a statue of him that had been put in the Jewish temple, and pray to Greek Gods, but they refused.
A small group of Jews called the Maccabees fought against this and, after a three-year war, they won. However, their Jewish temple had been destroyed. They cleaned and repaired the temple, then to celebrate the victory an oil lamp was lit in it.
There was only enough oil to burn the candle for 1 day, but miraculously it burned for 8 days. This is why Hanukkah is observed for 8 days and nights.
How Hanukkah is celebrated
The holiday is celebrated by lighting a nine-branched candlestick called a hanukiah for 8 nights. It holds 9 candles, one for each night, plus a helper candle, 'shamash', used to light the other candles. During this, people recite special blessings and prayers, sing songs and exchange gifts
Lots of Hanukkah celebrations centre around family and friends and include lighting of the Hanukkah menorah (also called a hanukkiyah); singing songs and eating foods prepared in oil, particularly potato pancakes (latkes) and doughnuts (sufganiyot). It is also customary to play with a dreidel (a four-sided spinning top).
It is a fun time for children, as they will receive gifts and Hanukkah money called ‘gelt’. Some families may give each other a small present on each of the 8 nights of Hanukkah.
To say happy hanukkah to those celebrating, you can say happy hanukkah or Chag sameach (the c is silent).