All About Hanukkah Decorations

Hanukkah is one of the oldest holidays in existence, and a deeply significant one for Jewish people. Hanukkah, or Chanukah, as it’s sometimes spelled, marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, a story that’s found in the Hebrew deutero-canonical books of First Maccabees and Second Maccabees, which were written during the first century B.C.E.

Hanukkah menorah

The menorah is one of the most recognizable symbols of Hanukkah, which is also known as the Festival of Lights. A Hanukkah menorah, also known as a chanukkiyah, holds nine lights or candles — one for each night of Hanukkah and a ninth for lighting them. The number eight is intended to recall the Miracle of the Oil that occurred at the Temple rededication. Though there was only enough consecrated oil to burn in the Temple for one day, the oil burned for eight days, providing time for new oil to be prepared and consecrated.

Wreaths

Hanukkah wreaths are a more recent addition to the Festival of Lights than the menorah. Hanukkah wreaths are distinguished from Christmas wreaths primarily by their coloring. Blue and silver are the traditional colors of Chanukah, so Chanukah wreaths feature blue and silver ribbons and painted wreath ornaments such as pinecones.

Hanukkah dreidel

The Hanukkah dreidel is a familiar item even to many non-Jewish people. A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter engraved on each side. The letters form an acronym for the phrase “a great miracle happened there,” another reference to the Miracle of the Oil at the Temple.

Hanukkah dreidels are used to play a children’s game in which players place coins or markers in a pot and then spin the dreidel. The side of the dreidel that faces up after the dreidel stops spinning determines whether the player takes the pot, adds coins, or loses his turn.

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