Reading Comprehension · Social Studies
Hanukkah
A reading lesson about Hanukkah — the Festival of Lights — including its ancient origins, the menorah, and the dreidel game.
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Subject
Reading Comprehension
Grade Level
Grades 3–7
Format
Lesson + Printable PDF
Access
Full Member
The Festival of Lights
Each December, Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, an eight-day festival also known as the Festival of Lights, the Feast of Dedication, or the Feast of the Maccabees. The celebration of Hanukkah began in 165 B.C., when the Jews, under a leader called Judas Maccabee, took back the Temple of Jerusalem from the Syrians. About three years earlier, the King of Syria had taken over the temple and dedicated it to the worship of a pagan god. The pagans did not allow the Jewish people to practice their religion.
After Jerusalem was recaptured by Judas Maccabee in 165 B.C., the people celebrated with a festival. According to tradition, there was only enough oil to light oil lamps for one day, but the oil miraculously burned for eight days. During Hanukkah, the Jewish people light a candle each day for eight days to remember this miracle. The candles that are lit during Hanukkah are held in a menorah. There are eight branches on the menorah to hold the eight candles, and there is also a holder for an extra candle that is used to light the others.
Hanukkah is also celebrated with special foods and music. After the candles are lit each night, children usually receive small gifts or money. The food served during Hanukkah is often fried in oil to remember the miracle of the oil. Fried doughnuts are a popular Hanukkah treat, and sweet foods such as chocolate coins are also part of the celebration.
The Dreidel Game
Centuries ago, Hanukkah was one of the only times during which rabbis allowed people to play games of chance. This led to the Hanukkah tradition of playing games with a spinning top called a dreidel. Before spinning the dreidel, players put candies, coins, or other items into a pot. Then one person spins the dreidel, which has a different Hebrew letter on each of its four sides.
The letter that lands facing up tells the spinner what happens next. The letters are nun, which means the spinner gets nothing; gimel, which means the spinner gets everything in the pot; hei, which means the spinner takes half of the pot; and shin, which means the spinner must add items to the pot.
The dreidel game remains a beloved part of Hanukkah celebrations around the world. Together with the lighting of the menorah, special foods, and gift-giving, it makes Hanukkah a joyful eight-day holiday filled with tradition and meaning.
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