Upholding Tradition and Celebration
Brooke WeissStaff WriterHanukkah is in full swing. Hanukkah candles are flying off the shelves at stores and the savory aroma of potatoes permeates the air in every Jewish household in Santa Monica.From Dec. 8 to Dec. 16, menorahs fill rooms with a soft glow, and unite family and friends as they sing songs like “Hanukkah, O Hanukkah” and watch the colorful wax candles slowly drip as the nights pass.The practice of lighting the menorah for eight nights originated from the miracle of Hanukkah. As the story goes, the ancient Jewish temple was destroyed when the Syrians entered the land. According to Jewish tradition, an everlasting light must constantly be burning in the temple. However, after the temple was destroyed, there was only enough oil to last for one night. Miraculously enough, the oil lasted for eight days, which allowed enough time for more oil to be found. As a celebration of this, Jewish families light candles for the eight nights of Hanukkah.Many families have personal Hanukkah traditions to commemorate the past.“Each person in my family has a special menorah,” Aliza McHugh (’14) said. “I use one that I made in preschool and my brother uses one decorated with different sport equipment like footballs and soccer balls. My sister also has one and the three of us all light our own menorahs each night of Hanukkah. It has become a little tradition in our family.”While McHugh has an intimate and unique tradition with her family, many celebrate the festivities in a more general way, by eating customary foods and playing games.Jewish or not, it is safe to say that almost everyone in the world has a strong liking for the addicting potato pancakes known as latkes. These can be topped with applesauce or sour cream depending on personal preference. They are cooked in oil not only for a delicious taste, but to symbolize the ancient Hanukkah story and the miracle of the oil.“Whether it is Hanukkah or not, I try to make latkes whenever I can,” Rachel Kiekhofer (’14) said. “To me, they are the best part of the holidays. I love walking into my house and smelling the freshly made potato pancakes.”After filling up with latkes, many families gather around to play the classic Hanukkah game, Dreidel.The game starts with a pot of gelt – golden-wrapped chocolate coins – in the middle and an equal amount of gelt distributed to all players. Depending on his or her spinning outcome, gelt is lost or gained. “Nun” means nothing happens, “gimmel” means the player gets everything in the pot, “hey” means the recipient gets half of the pot and “shin” means the player adds one piece of gelt to the pot. Participants usually engage in a chorus of the song “I Have a Little Dreidel” during the game.“My family has a special blue dreidel [that] we use every year,” Sydney Golden (’14) said. “My mom bought two more just in case we lose it.”Throughout the menorah lighting, latke eating and dreidel playing, children keep an eye on their decoratively wrapped presents and patiently await tearing one open.One present is opened each night; however, most families make their children wait until the last night of Hanukkah to open the best or biggest gift.Whether it be laughing about what happened last Hanukkah or learning and teaching its story and religious roots, the holiday unites family and friends.“I love hearing the story of Hanukkah every year,” Max Mirkin (’15) said. “It brings my family closer together during the holidays.”