Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah is almost here! It is the festival of lights that celebrates the miracle of a tiny flame of hope lasting for 8 days. In 2020, Hanukkah begins from the evening of Thursday, December 10 until the evening of Friday, December 18th. It is celebrated each evening at dusk by lighting candles every night in a special candelabra called a menorah (menorah means light). The first night you start off with one candle, and each night you add one more. It is also customary to give small gifts each of the 8 nights. It is customary to place the lit menorah in a window or doorway encouraging turning the darkness into light. It represents that even in a dark winter, there is still hope, light, and goodness.

The miracle of the oil lamp lasting eight days is not only celebrated through the lighting of the menorah, but also in the traditional foods that are eaten. Two of the most popular dishes, latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts), are both deep-fried in oil. While the tastiness of these foods are reason enough to eat them, it’s the oil used to cook them that make them a staple for most Hanukkah celebrations. People often throw Hanukkah parties on any of the 8 days of Hanukkah where people gather and celebrate by eating traditional, oil heavy foods (pass the antacids).   

On Hanukkah, it is customary to play with a “dreidel” (a four-sided spinning top bearing the Hebrew letters, nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for nes gadol hayah sham, “a great miracle happened there”). The game is usually played for a pot of coins, nuts, or other stuff, which is won or lost based on which letter the dreidel lands when it is spun. The ‘coins’ are actually chocolate circles wrapped in metal foil, which is called Hanukkah gelt. 

Hanukkah is all about making the world a lighter, brighter, and better place. The most important part about celebrating Hanukkah is bringing more light and goodness into the world. At Private Home Health Care, we really value doing good deeds and performing small acts of kindness – it is really what makes the world go round. Supporting a food drive, calling someone who is lonely, buying coffee or paying a toll for the person behind you, or even just giving a friendly smile are all great ways to be a positive force in the world. Private Home Care wishes a very Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate, and let your light shine this season!