Hanukkah is the festival of dedication; it is the story of the great triumph of the Jews over the Syrian Greeks in the early 165BCE. The eight day long festival of Hanukkah is the ideal representation of the Jewish beliefs, ethnicity, custom and religious fervor. Significant Hanukkah traditions with its entire ethnicity braid the fiesta whilst making it the most important annual festival of the Jews of sheer religious importance. Lighting the typical Hanukkah candles at the legendary candelabrum is the age old Hanukkah traditions as burning of each candle every day is an honor to the conquest that took place in the long gone era. In a temple a menorah which is the term used to signify the special seven or nine branched candelabra, is lit everyday and is a customary Hanukkah tradition. Lighting the candles with the purest olive oil enhances the spiritual passion of the Jews.
Like most of the other Jewish festivals, Hanukkah comes with its own special food traditions. Preparing the customary fried foods is a well accepted Hanukkah traditions which reminds the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days during the re dedication of Jerusalem. Potato pancakes and doughnuts are the conventional Hanukkah treats. Dairy is also one of the important foods of Hanukkah festival and eating of dairy products complements with the story of the Jewish heroine Judith, who saved her village from the Syrians.
After lighting the Hanukkah candles playing the traditional Hanukkah game - .Dreidel is definitely one of the fixed Hanukkah traditions with sheer spiritual importance. Singing the Hanukkah songs, chanting the Hanukkah prayers, eating the Hanukkah foods and exchanging gifts are other Hanukkah tradition which makes Hanukkah not only the festival of religious importance but also an occasion of utter zest.
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