Now that fall is ending and winter is beginning, many Jewish families around the world are preparing to celebrate Hanukkah in their own ways. While most people are familiar with lighting the menorah and spinning dreidel, there are other countless traditions that have shaped Hanukkah into what it is today. Each custom, whether it’s honoring faith or just a special recipe that’s been passed down, carries its own unique meaning and history.. This Hanukkah season, let’s take a closer look at some more hidden traditions and the meaning behind them.

Lighting Outdoor Menorahs

One of the special ways to celebrate Hanukkah is lighting outdoor menorahs. This has recently become a more popular tradition. It is a practice to publicize the miracle and the Jewish faith by sharing the message of hope and resilience with the wider community. It is also a symbol of boldness in your faith, showing publicly that you belong to that faith.

Giving Gelt

Giving Gelt is a tradition that has been around for a long time. “Gelt” being a Yiddish word for money, means to give money. It often symbolizes victory and sovereignty and more recently evolved to include rewarding children for studying the Torah. It can be given at any time but is usually given on a specific night depending on the family.

Maccabee Plays and Skits

The Maccabee plays and skits are theatrical performances that recall the story of the Maccabees and the events leading to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. While retelling the story, they go over major themes like courage and faith of the small group of Jewish rebels, resistance and freedom showing the struggle for religious freedom against King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This tradition had been around since around 1606. These plays and skits are usually watched with family and friends to rejoice in the freedom they have today.

Singing Hanukkah Songs

Throughout the Hanukkah season, traditional songs are sung to celebrate the victory over oppression, the rededication of the temple, and the miracles of the holiday. Songs and hymns that are most popular and usually sung include Ma’oz Tzur, Ai Hanisim, I Have a Little Dreidel, and Oh Hanukkah. Some of these are children’s songs, giving an engaging way to teach kids about Jewish history. These songs build connections to the Jewish history with many of them focusing on themes of praise and religious freedom.

These traditions remind us that this holiday is more than just eight nights of light. Hanukkah is a celebration of identity, memory, and the small rituals that bring families and communities together. Each tradition adds something different to the season. By exploring these traditions each Hanukkah season, we see how it continues to grow in new meaningful ways, keeping its spirit alive each year.