Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, comes early this year. Hanukkah 2021 begins the evening of Sunday, Nov. 28 and will end on the evening of Monday, Dec. 6.

Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, is the Jewish Festival of Rededication. It is also called the Festival of Lights, and is an eight-day celebration. These days of celebration are filled with lighting menorahs, telling the Hanukkah story, playing dreidel and eating special foods.

Each night of Hanukkah, a head candle is used to light one of the eight candles in the Menorah. By the last night, all eight candles will be burning.

One of the special foods includes a gold-foil-wrapped chocolate coin which is known as gelt, one of Hanukkah’s traditional treats. Other foods that are enjoyed are fried foods. It is a tradition to pay homage to the miraculous oil by eating foods fried in oil. Some popular food items include latkes, which are fried potato pancakes and sweet jelly doughnuts.

An activity played during Hanukkah is dreidel, this is a traditional four-sided spinning toy, which each side has a Hebrew letter on it. Some play with gelt or with real money to enjoy the game.

Hanukkah is not just one night of fun like other holidays, it is eight nights of coming together with loved ones to light the Menorah, eat a warm meal and exchanging gifts. It is a special time in Judaism that remembers an important time in their faith during this holiday season. 

To honor this special holiday season, the Intro to Journalism class will be hosting a table dedicated to Hanukkah on Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This class strives to be inclusive of holidays celebrated by other cultures during the more known Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Stop by the table and learn more about this special holiday by viewing a PowerPoint about Hanukkah and enjoying some special Hanukkah chocolates.