Hanukkah is a holiday that celebrates the liberation of Jerusalem. While many people already learned this in school, a lot of very important details got lost in the shuffle. We bring to you 10 interesting facts surrounding this amazing celebration of life.
Just how important was this holiday at first anyway?
1. The Rise Of Hanukkah
A normal person would think Hanukkah is the biggest Jewish holiday. According to the Torah, it isn’t. Passover and Rosh Hashanah hold more significance to the religion. Jewish people living in the United States decided to make Hanukkah a major holiday. With its closeness to Christmas, the holiday started to become more mainstream over the decades.
2. Different Dates
Unlike Christmas, there’s no official start date for the holiday in the United States. The holiday officially begins on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. In 2015, it began on Sunday, December 6, and in the following year, it started on Saturday, December 24.
This particular gift is something we could use a lot of right now.
3. For The Love Of Money
Money certainly makes the world go ’round. Instead of giving people large gifts, money is normally given out during the holiday. Unfortunately, children don’t get the chance to increase their bank account. The little ones are often given delicious chocolate coins in gold or silver wrapping. As expected, they can’t snack on them before dinner.
4. Last Donut Of The Night
During the holiday, donuts are a fan favorite over in Israel. The type of donuts devoured in the area are called sufganiyots. Nearly 18 million sufganiyots are eaten in the region. These treats have found their way to supermarkets across the United States.
A lot of wax gets wasted during this tradition.