🕎 Hanukkah

8 nights in December Ages 4–10

The Festival of Lights: eight nights of candles, latkes, doughnuts, dreidels and family.

The story

More than 2,000 years ago, a king named Antiochus told the Jewish people they could no longer pray to God in their own way. A small group called the Maccabees stood up to his huge army — and won. When they came back to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, they found only one small jar of pure oil, enough for one day. But the light burned for eight days! That is why Hanukkah lasts eight nights.

How to play dreidel

1. Everyone puts one coin, nut or chocolate gelt in the middle (the “pot”).
2. Take turns spinning the dreidel. Nun = nothing happens · Gimel = take the whole pot · Hey = take half · Shin = put one in.
3. When the pot is empty, everyone adds one again. Play until someone has everything — or until dinner!