Families Gather Memories At Hanukkiah CelebrationsWinter holidays means different things to different people. The way you celebrate your holiday and the traditions you hold vary greatly from one practicing faith to another. For Christians, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ and for friends and family to come together to deck the halls, trim the tree and sing joyful Christmas carols through your neighborhood. Celebrating Hanukkiah is a way for people of the Jewish faith to gather together and celebrate their age old family traditions. Relatives both young and old come together on the eight days of Hanukkiah to light candles on the menorah which begins their eight days of rest. Tradition says that during those eight days, you should not work, but simply enjoy your family and friends and use these eight days to relax and reflect on the meaning of Hannukiah.
During the eight celebrated days of Hanukkiah, gifts are doled out. Usually these gifts are smaller in scale for the first seven days. The largest, and most extravagant of the gifts are saved for the last day Hanukkiah when Shamash is celebrated and the last and largest candle in the center of the menorah is lit, signifying the end of the Hanukkiah celebration.
Delicious food surrounds any Hanukkiah festivity. Jewish meals prepared lovingly by the elder women with recipes that have been passed on from generation to generation is the core of all the Jewish family functions and celebrations. Some favorite dishes that are served, especially during Hanuakkiah are slow cooked beef brisket, scrumptious potato latkes served with sour cream and chives and delicious, melt in your mouth jelly filled doughnuts that are crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Can’t you just taste it now?
Jewish children celebrating Hanukkiah, never go without playing with a dreidel. A dreidel is a spinning top that is flat on all four sides. On each side, there is a word or symbol in Yiddish. Each player begins with an equal number of game pieces; you can use pennies, nuts, buttons, etc. You spin the Dreidel and whatever side it lands on is the direction you have to take. You will either give or get another game piece. “Nun” means do nothing; “Gimmel” means the player gets everything in the pot; “Hey” means the player gets half of the pot; and “Shin” means you have to add a piece to the pot. The person who ends up with the most game pieces at the end wins. Any number of players may play.
Hanukkiah celebrations are lively and fun, sentimental and spiritual all rolled up into eight crazy nights. As comedian Adam Sandler sings, “Go tell Veronica, it’s time for Hanukkiah!”
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