8 Facts You Might Not Know About Hanukkah
Updated: Nov. 16, 2022If you're somewhat familiar with Hanukkah but would like to know a little more, start by learning these Hanukkah facts.
The Hebrew Calendar
One Hanukkah fact you might not know is that its timing is not based on the Gregorian calendar, unlike other winter holidays like New Year’s Day. While the holiday may seem to move around, it actually falls on the same day of the Hebrew calendar every year: the 25th of Kislev. In 2021, Hanukkah is November 28 through December 6. In 2022, it starts on December 18.
How to Spell Hanukkah
Because Hanukkah is originally a Hebrew word, the English spelling varies from person to person. My Jewish Learning explains this Hanukkah fact: the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, chet, has no English equivalent, so you may see it translated “with a h, ch or kh.” Hanukkah is the most common spelling today, but you may see Chanukah, Hanukah or another variation.
Hanukkah Means Dedication
After the Maccabees’ victory in 165 B.C.E., the Temple in Jerusalem was rededicated, according to the Union for Reform Judaism. The Festival of Lights uses candles to remember and celebrate that rededication.
If you want to decorate your house for the festival, then here are some Hanukkah DIY decor ideas.
Hanukkah Is a Relatively Recent Holiday
The Maccabees’ victory happened long after the Torah was written, according to the history.com editors, so Hanukkah does not appear in it. A feast of dedication does, however, appear in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. And the Maccabees do appear in the Apocrypha, which is a collection of texts not included in the Hebrew Bible.
Sometimes It Coincides With Thanksgiving
Because the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars don’t line up perfectly, the dates of Hanukkah change every year. Sometimes it’s in December. Sometimes it’s in November. Once in a great while, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah happen at the same time. My Jewish Learning says that the first night of Hanukkah will fall on Thanksgiving on November 27, 2070.
Hanukkah Candle Facts
The number of candles in a menorah is a commonly known Hanukkah fact. But did you know how to light them? For someone whose family does not celebrate Hanukkah, it might seem like the candle lighting should go from left to right, like reading a book. That is not the case. The outer right candle is the first. Then, you light one to the left for each night of Hanukkah. Lighting candles is one of the few popular Hanukkah traditions.
The Menorah Is Not a Source of Light
The Union for Reform Judaism explains that the lights in a Hanukkah Menorah are holy, so the Hanukkah candles are not meant for practical use, such as working or reading. In fact, a ninth candle, or shammash, is used to light the others.
The Story of Judith
The National Jewish Outreach Program says that, in addition to oily foods like latkes, many people eat dairy during Hanukkah to honor the heroine Judith. She offered cheese to an enemy general to make him let his guard down. Judith’s story takes place centuries before that of the Maccabees, but Judah Maccabee may be one of her descendants, says National Public Radio. Judith’s story might be the least known Hanukkah fact on this list.
