Hanukkah

Hello! I am Hanukkah, and many people call me the Festival of Lights. My celebration lasts for eight special nights. During this time, families gather together to light a beautiful candle holder. This special candle holder is called a menorah.

Each night, a new candle is added to the menorah. On the first night, there is just one glowing light. On the second night, there are two. This continues until the last night, when all eight candles are shining together. It is a beautiful sight to see the light grow brighter and brighter every single evening.

People also observe me with yummy foods. Many of these foods are cooked in oil. Families enjoy eating crispy potato pancakes called latkes. They also eat sweet, round donuts called sufganiyot. These oily foods are special because they help people remember a traditional story. The story is about a small jar of oil that kept a light burning for eight whole days.

My celebration is a time for fun and games, too. Children love to play a game with a spinning top. This little top is called a dreidel. They take turns spinning the dreidel, watching it twirl around and around. When they play, they can win sweet treats like chocolate coins covered in shiny foil. These coins are called gelt. For eight nights, I am a time for families to share light, food, and fun.