LOS ALAMITOS, CA — This year’s Festival of Lights has arrived, and many people may be wondering how to celebrate. 

History and Origins

For those who are unaware, Hanukkah is a holiday from the religion Judaism and has its origins in the Macabean victory over the forces of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. As the story goes, after a long 3-year fight against the forces of Antiochus, the brave Jewish Maccabee fighters were able to re-take Jerusalem and the Second Temple, which had been desecrated by Antiochus’ forces, of the enemy. The Maccabee leader, Judas, ordered the Temple to be cleaned and restored, but when the Maccabees entered the Temple, there was only a small jar of oil left to light the Temple’s menorah, an eight pronged candle holder.

Miraculously, the oil managed to burn for eight straight days, which was enough time for new consecrated oil to be found. This established the tradition of the commemorative festival for the victory lasting eight days. 

Ways to Celebrate

Even if you are not Jewish and don’t know much about the holiday, you might be curious about how to celebrate, so here is a list of great suggestions to participate in the fun alongside your Jewish friends. 

 1. Play a fun game of dreidel with your friends! 

This fun betting game involves spinning a dreidel (a four sided top spinner) and depending on which Hebrew character it lands on either adding a candy/token to the communal pot, taking a candy from the communal pot, taking the entire pot, or simply doing nothing. This game can be played with any type of candy or small object, but it is typically played with raisins, beans, or gelt (chocolates shaped like coins). 

2. Try some traditional Hanukkah foods!

For a savory meal, latkes, mouth-watering deep-fried potato pancakes, are an absolute must. This savory treat can be eaten with applesauce, sour cream, or, my personal favorite, ketchup (controversial, I know). For those with a sweet tooth, the flaky crescent pastry, rugelach, which can be filled with nuts, dried fruits, or chocolate is simply divine. Sufganiyot is another sweet favorite, as these jelly-filled donuts can amaze just about anyone.

“I like lighting the menorah and a lot of fun and just hang out with my family and eating dinner with them. It’s fun to spend time with my family and eat donuts and stuff,” said Sydney Chait-Walter, junior. 

3. Exchange some gifts!

Thanks to the oil miracle, instead of just one night of presents, celebrators of Hanukkah get to exchange presents for eight whole nights! Set up a gift exchange with your friends where you each can give one of your friends a present for each day of Hanukkah. If you’re worried about breaking the bank, don’t be! The gifts can be small, but the important thing is you get to celebrate all eight days together.

4. Hold a cookie decorating party!

Gather some friends and bake some sugar cookies using Hanukkah cookie cutters which can easily be found at Target. Decorate them using frosting or sprinkles then sit back and enjoy eating your creations!

5. Decorate for the holiday!

Traditional holiday colors for Hanukkah are blue, white, and yellow, so it is always simple to string some lights with colored bulbs around your house. For a more distinctive Hanukkah look, you could head to Target, Amazon, or Walmart for menorah, dreidels, and Star of David-themed decor. 

6. Light the menorah!

Each night, light the amount of candles that corresponds to each night (ex: 2 candles for the second night) using the helper candle that will be placed in the center of the menorah, which is known as the Shamash. By the last night, your menorah should have all of its spaces filled with lit candles. 

Enjoy this year’s Festival of Lights, Los Al!