Hanukkah traditions provide warm feelings

Heather Behrens

Jews around the world lit the first candle in their menorahs for Hanukkah on Tuesday night.

Lighting the menorah is an important part of celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights, said Catherine Luria, president of ISU Hillel.

Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabees’ defeat of the Syrian Greeks and the rededication of their temple in Jerusalem. During the rededication, the Jews wished to light the temple’s menorah, but could find enough oil to keep the flames alive for only one day. Miraculously, the menorah remained lit for eight days until a new supply of oil could be found, Luria said.

Hanukkah has several alternative spellings, including Chanukah, Hanukah, Hanuka and Channukah, because the Hebrew sound isn’t easily translated.

Hanukkah is not a major holiday for all Jews, particularly those in the reform movement, Luria said.

“It’s an important holiday, but it’s certainly not a holiday on the level with Christmas,” she said.

“We have more important holidays.”

Celebrating Hanukkah with family can be difficult for college students because it usually doesn’t fall on break, Luria said. Students will sometimes celebrate with friends or members of their synagogues, she said.

The Ames Jewish Congregation puts on a Hanukkah party, and other area synagogues often sponsor events, Luria said.

ISU Hillel is not hosting an event this year because Hanukkah falls so close to finals, and organizing an event is difficult on top of that, she said.

Rebecca Heller, treasurer of ISU Hillel, said her family celebrates Hanukkah whenever they can get together.

Spending quality time with her family is her favorite part of Hanukkah, especially now that they live apart. She added that the holiday holds happy memories for her.

“My brother and I used to race each other to see whose candle could burn down fastest,” she said.

Lighting the menorah is only one of several Hanukkah traditions.

Luria said that the menorah, or Hanukiyah, is an important symbol to Jews celebrating Hanukkah. Eight of its nine candle holders represent the days the oil burned in the temple lamp. One candle is lit each night of the festival. The ninth candle, the Shamash, is used to light the other candles.

Taking a quiet moment to light the menorah is nice this time of year as the stress of finals begins, Luria said.

“It’s a time at the end of the day when you stop and do something a little spiritual,” she said.

Although Luria said her favorite part of Hanukkah is lighting the menorah, as a child she loved to play Dreidel, another common Hanukkah tradition.

According to the History Channel Web site, Dreidel is a game played with pennies, nuts, raisins or chocolate coins as chips. This gambling game developed because Hanukkah is one time of year that rabbis allowed games of chance. The four-sided top features a Hebrew letter on each side meaning “A great miracle happened there,” except in Israel where the letters translate as “A miracle happened here.” A player spins the Dreidel and gains or loses depending on the letter facing up.

Food is a central part of holidays, and Hanukkah is no exception, Heller said. Latkes — potato pancakes — are often eaten at Hanukkah. Cooking the cakes in oil reminds Jews of the miracle oil. Another popular treat this time of year are sufganiyot, or jelly doughnuts without the hole, covered in powdered sugar and/or cinnamon.

Gifts are sometimes given during the holiday, though not in all families. Luria said that Hanukkah is more commercialized in the United States. Heller said the tradition of exchanging gifts probably developed so Jewish kids didn’t feel left out this time of year.

“I think the presents came along more because of Christmas than anything else,” she said.