8 Fun Facts of Hanukkah: The Hanukkah Story

The history of Hannukah predates Christmas. (165 B.C.E.)

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The word Chanukah means dedication. It is related to the re-dedication of the Altar, a centerpiece of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Greeks used it to worship the god Zeus.

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In the past, Hanukkah has been a minor holiday only having gained popularity in the late 1800s.

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The special "helper candle" used to light the candles on the menorah each night is called the "shamash." On the first night, the shamash and one other candle are lit. And so on for the next 7 days.

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When the Greeks controlled Israel, they made it forbidden to learn Torah. Children met up in secret to learn and if a Greek soldier found them, they would pretend to be gambling with their dreidels.  Thus, the Jewish play dreidel to remember the dedication of those children.

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The letters on the dreidel stand for the Hebrew phrase "Nes Gadol Hayah Sham," which means "a great miracle happened there" in English.

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Gift-giving hasn't always been a tradition of this holiday. However, it has become more common in recently when Jewish families have a lot of contact with those who celebrate Christmas. The traditional gift of Hannukah is "gelt." This is the Hebrew word for a small amount of money.

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There are 17 correct ways to spell Hanukkah: Chanuccah, Channuka, Channukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Chanuko, Hannuka, Hannukah, Hanuka, Hanukkah, Hanukka, Hannukka, Kanukkah, Khannuka, Khannukah, Khanukkah, Khanukkah."

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