How do people celebrate Hanukkah?

Answer 1

• At nightfall the candles are lit, from the newest one on the left and then one by one to the right. This is done every day; thus on the 8th day 8 candles are lit.
• Special Hanukkah additions are added to the prayers.
• There is a special Torah reading each day
• A popular Hanukkah game is "dreidel" - a four sided top
• Dairy products are popular
• Latkes (potato pancakes), or Sufganiyot (jelly donuts)
• Giving out Hanukkah money (gelt) to children is a popular custom

Answer 2

Most of Judaic history commemorates "They tried to kill us, we won, let's eat." As with most other celebrations, this one features food. Anything fried in oil is an appropriate meal choice in this holiday.

To celebrate Hanukkah, one needs a menorah (a eight branch candelabra) and the appropriate prayers. It is an interesting fact that ALL Jewish celebrations begin with praise to God, and this one is no exception. The blessings may be found at the link below. After the candles are lit, the party begins. The customary foods are a feature of Hanukkah with such delicacies as latkes and donuts. There are songs, the telling of the story of the miracles of Hanukkah, and dreidel playing.

So essentially, this holiday is a celebration of freedom and the miracles God performed for the Jewish people in the face of incredible odds.

Answer 2

• by lighting the menorah with olive oil or candles, and saying the blessings
• by singing the traditional songs
• with the requisite special prayers and Torah-reading added in the daily synagogue services
• by having fried foods such as jelly donuts or potato pancakes
• by playing the traditional game with the dreidel
• by giving Hanukkah-gelt (coins) to one's children.

Answer 3

Hanukkah is celebrated as follows:
1) People light their menorah every night at or after sundown with the customary blessings and songs, adding one candle for every day until on the 8th evening 8 candles (or olive oil wicks) are lit. (On Friday afternoon, the menorah is lit earlier than on the other days.)

2) Special Hanukkah additions are added to the prayer services:

• a) Al-hanisim in grace after meals and in the thrice daily prayers
• b) Hallel - the Thanksgiving psalms during morning prayers
• c) Each day there is a special Torah reading

3) A popular Hanukkah game is "dreidel" - a four sided top with Hebrew letters.

4) Dairy products are customary.

5) Foods prepared with oil: Latkes (pancakes), or Sufganiyot (jelly donuts).

6) Giving out Hanukkah money (gelt) to children is an ancient custom; other gifts are not.

• Other information: How did Hanukkah start?

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 circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. Despite being heavily outnumbered, 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. The Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) were miraculously victorious. When they reached the Temple grounds, they immediately reconsecrated it to God. As part of this action, they relit the Menorah (Exodus ch.25), which was fueled with olive oil. However, it soon became apparent that there was only sufficient oil to keep the candelabra burning for one single day - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
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 Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)
The eight-day rededication of the Temple is also mentioned in the book of Maccabees (I, 4:56-59; and II, 1:18); and Josephus mentions the eight-day festival in Antiquities ch.12.
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, just as we have no special occasion to mark Abraham's victory (Genesis ch.14), or those of Moses (Numbers ch.21), Joshua, Deborah (Judges ch.4), Gideon (Judges ch.6-7), Jephthah (Judges ch.11), or King David. And though the Hasmonean battles continued for two decades after the retaking of the Temple, the Sages instituted Hanukkah immediately after 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

We light the Menorah (an eight-branched candelabra) each evening of Chanukah at around sunset. On the first night, we light a single light, on the second two and so on until all eight candles are lit on the last evening.

Many people prefer to use olive oil to light their Menorah, rather than candles.

There are special blessings to say before lighting the Menorah.

Children should light their own Menorah.

We add a special paragraph to the daily prayers, acknowledging the miracles of Chanukah.

We also eat oily foods, to remind us of the miracle of the oil. Classic menus include "latkes" (potato fritters) or jelly doughnuts.

Children play "dreidel" a game with a special spinning top with four Hebrew letters on it. Parents give their children pocket money, called Chanukah gelt.

For more info. you should visit: www.hanukkah.org

Answer 5

They do things exactly the same as they always have. The menorah is lit with its Hebrew blessings, the traditional songs are sung, certain prayers are added in the daily synagogue service, and traditional foods are eaten (potato latkes).

Answer 6

The same way Israel does.

Hanukkah is a celebration in the Judaic faith. Celebrated by people of that faith.

America is a continent, sub-divided into the north and south. As a consequence of this it does not hold religious beliefs.

Within these areas are many countries and within these countries live many millions of people, some of whom follow Judaism as a religion. The rituals and symbols used by people of these countries may have minor variations but are broadly the same and follow similar traditions in America as elsewhere.

Answer 7

Hanukkah is celebrated:

• by lighting the menorah with olive oil or candles, and saying the blessings
  
• by singing the traditional songs
  
• with special prayers and Torah-reading added in the daily synagogue services
  
• by having fried foods such as jelly donuts or potato pancakes
  
• by playing the traditional game with the dreidel
  
• by giving Hanukkah-gelt (coins) to one's children.
  

For more about Hanukkah:

http://judaism.answers.com/jewish-holidays/hanukkah

Answer 8

During Hanukkah, Jews light the Chanukiah, also called a Hanukkah-menorah (which is a 8-branched candle holder) each night, singing, and eating traditional foods such as latkes and jelly donuts. Parties are also common, as well as chocolate coins, called "Hanukkah gelt."
One candle is lit on the first night, with an additional candle added each night until all 8 candles are lit on the eighth night. During the candlelighting, 2 blessings are sung (3 on the first night), and often other songs are song after they are lit. More detail:

• At nightfall one candle is added each night, starting from the right and going to the left. Then the candles are lit from the newest one on the left and then one by one to the right. This is done every day; thus on the 8th day 8 candles are lit.
• People light their menorah every night at or after sundown
• Special Hanukkah additions are added to the prayers:
• The Al-hanisim prayer is added in grace after meals and in the thrice daily prayers
• Hallel - the thanksgiving psalms are added in the morning prayers
• There is a special Torah reading each day
• A popular Hanukkah game is "dreidel" - a four sided top
• Dairy products are popular
• Latkes (potato pancakes), or Sufganiyot (jelly donuts)
• Giving out Hanukkah money (gelt) to children is a popular custom

See also the Related Link.
How Hanukkah started

Answer 9

Hanukkah is celebrated:

• by lighting the menorah with olive oil or candles, and saying the blessings
  
• by singing the traditional songs
  
• with the requisite special prayers and Torah-reading added in the daily synagogue services
  
• by having fried foods such as jelly donuts or potato pancakes
  
• by playing the traditional game with the dreidel
  
• by giving Hanukkah-gelt (coins) to one's children.
  

See also the Related Link.

More about Hanukkah

Answer 10

Hanukkah is celebrated as follows:
1) People light their menorah every night at or after sundown with the customary blessings and songs, adding one candle for every day until on the 8th evening 8 candles (or olive oil wicks) are lit. In Israel, many people light their menorahs outside. (On Friday afternoon, the menorah is lit earlier than on the other days.)
2) Special Hanukkah additions are added to the prayer services:

• a) Al-hanisim ("regarding the miracles") in grace after meals and in the thrice daily prayers
  
• b) Hallel - the thanksgiving psalms during morning prayers
  
• c) Each day there is a special Torah reading
  

3) A popular Hanukkah game is "dreidel" - a four sided top with Hebrew letters.
4) Dairy products are customary.
5) Foods prepared with oil: Latkes (pancakes), or Sufganiyot (jelly donuts).
6) Giving out Hanukkah money (gelt) to children is an ancient custom; other gifts are not.See also the Related Link.

Link: How did Hanukkah start