Celebrate Hanukkah with Kosher Create!
Rediscover what this heart-warming holiday is all about and sample delicious healthy treats. Learn more about the miracle of Hanukkah, the menorah lighting and the spinning dreidel!
Planning a Hanukkah party?
Explore our Healthy Recipes For Your Hanukkah Party and find free recipes for yummy oven-baked latkes.
Hanukkah Collections at Kosher Create
| Hanukkah Collection | What’s Included |
|---|---|
Hanukkah – Healthy Recipes and Ideas  You’re Here! | Exploring Hanukkah with Kosher Create: THE MIRICALE OF HANUKKAH EIGHT DAYS OF LIGHT SPINNING THE DREIDEL  |
HEALTHY LATKE RECIPES | Kosher Create’s latke recipes use selected ingredients and a minimal amount of olive oil. Follow Kosher Create’s easy recipe instructions to create these Hanukkah festive treats. |
Healthy Recipes For Your Hanukkah Party | This Hanukkah, try new recipes and enjoy healthier versions of traditional favorites! Savor the flavors of choice ingredients with quick, easy, tried-and-tested recipes. Feel free to browse through the Kosher Create Menu or check out Kosher Create’s tips for finding recipes on the site. Want more suggestions? We have 8 ideas lined up for you! |
Exploring Hanukkah
THE MIRICALE OF HANUKKAH
Hanukkah is dedicated to proclaiming a miracle.
We warm our hearts with the SOFT MENORAH GLOW that commemorates it; warm up our voice to a stream of TUNES that tell us about it; and warm up with the DELECTABLE TREATS that celebrate it.
So what is this miracle of Hanukkah worthy of those cherished traditions?
In short, it is the MIRACLE OF LIGHT.
Hanukkah memorializes the rededication of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem by Judas Maccabee in 165 BC in the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Greek Hellenistic King. After the Temple had been desecrated, a small pitcher of olive oil was found. It was meant to light the Menorah, i.e., the candelabrum, of the Holy Temple. But alas, the amount of oil found was presumed to last for only one day. Above expectations, it lasted for eight days long.
And so, from a minute amount of oil, a steadfast light was spread throughout the Temple. Throughout generations. Throughout time.
EIGHT DAYS OF LIGHT
The miracle of Hanukkah is keenly felt throughout the holiday for eight whole days.
Described as a festival of lights, this holiday evokes heart-warming memories of joyous occasions. Among them, is the candle lighting ceremony. Beginning on the first day of Hanukkah, the 25th day of the Jewish month Kislev, the Hanukkiah, i.e., the Hanukkah Menorah is lit. Each day a candle is added until all eight candles are lit, spreading unwavering LIGHT. An endearing custom uses wicks dipped in olive oil to light the Menorah and commemorate the miracle.
It is customary, to accompany the lighting ceremony with songs, pairing a stream of MELODIES with meaningful lyrics.
Clearly, no holiday would be complete without traditional TREATS to accompany it. During Hanukkah, it is customary to eat dishes prepared with oil. The most popular treat is the liviva – latke, a small pancake or pattie traditionally made out of potatoes. Visit our collection of healthy baked latke (pattie) recipes.
Wishing you eight days of LIGHT, SONG and, of course, DELECTABLE TREATS.
Happy Hanukkah from KOSHER CREATE.
SPINNING THE DREIDEL
A traditional Hanukkah game involves spinning a top, better known by its Yiddish name dreidel (In hebrew sevivon סביבון). The Hannukah dreidel has four sides adorned by four Hebrew letters:
NUN נ – indicates the Hebrew word NES, meaning miracle.
GIMEL ג – indicates the Hebrew word GADOL meaning big.
HEY ה – indicates the Hebrew word HAYA meaning was.
SHIN ש or PEH פ (depending on location) – indicates respectively the Hebrew words SHAM meaning there and PO meaning here.
And to sum it all – נס גדול היה פה or נס גדול היה שם, meaning a big miracle occurred here (in Israel) or there (referring to Israel).
As you could probably guess, two kinds of dreidels are used in accordance to location. Since the Hanukkah miracle happened in the land of Israel, dreidels in Israel feature the letter PEH. Outside of Israel, it is customary to use the letter SHIN.
Besides proclaiming a miracle, the game of dreidel is rooted in ancient times and Jewish tradition. Under the ruling of Antiochus, Jews were not allowed to study Torah, the Jewish Bible. Thus, the forbidden studying was done in hiding. Keeping a dreidel nearby, they retrieved it when the need arose, pretending to be playing it all along when in actuality they kept on pursuing their devoted studying.
Chag Shameach from Kosher Create!
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