What do you do on the first day Hanukkah?

Answer 1

At sunset on the first night of Hanukkah (and on all the other nights, as well) you light the Hanukkah candles and say the blessing for the candles. (On the first night only, you also say the "Shehechianu" blessing.) Then you play the dreidel game as long as the candles are burning.

The traditional foods are things fried in oil; latkes (potato pancakes, which are excellent with a little butter and applesauce), or fried chicken, and for a treat, jelly donuts.

Answer 2

You progressively light an additional candle on the Channukiah (Hanukkah menorah), and say the blessings. Perhaps have nice meals with friends and family. There aren't unique events specific to each day of the holiday.

Answer 3

During Hanukkah, Jews light the menorah (candelabrum) and say the traditional blessings.

The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices in Judea, such as Sabbath-observance, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. The Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah.

When they reached the Temple grounds and prepared to light the oil lamps of the Temple's menorah (Exodus ch.25), they found only one day's supply of unsullied olive oil. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.

The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence still dwelt in the Holy Temple. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).

The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.

The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.

Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil.

It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."

Answer 4

Exactly the same as every other day.

In 2013, since the third night of Hanukkah is Friday night, we light the menorah before sunset since we don't kindle fire on the Sabbath (Exodus ch.35).

Answer 5

You start celebrating Hankkah on the first day, but it's no different than any of the other days of Hanukkah, except that there is 1 extra blessing said over the candles.