We celebrate Hanukkah (or the Feast of Dedication) in our Christian home to focus on God’s omnipotence and faithfulness to His people. As Christians, we also celebrate the re-dedication of our lives due to the cleansing of our hearts through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. If the thought of Christians celebrating Hanukkah is new to you, I invite you to read John 10:22-42 when Jesus observes Hanukkah at the Temple in Jerusalem, and check out this otherposton Hanukkah and Christians.
Would you like to create a tradition of celebrating Hanukkah in your Christian home? You can find the dates of Hanukkahhere, and below are ten ideas to get you started!
1. Praise God
The themes ofHanukkahare rich with shows of God’s power or omnipotence. His omnipotence is the attribute of God that shows His limitless ability to do, well, anything He wants! He is all-powerful, and this is shown when He caused the Jewish people to have victory over their Syrian rulers. The story goes that He miraculously allowed one day’s worth of oil to burn for eight days until more could be made for the Temple menorah.
God’s faithfulness to His people is the other central theme. Despite great persecution, God preserved His people, just as He always said He would. The circ*mstances were impossible, but God made it happen anyway. He showed that He stands with His people and keeps the promises He makes to them.
But it’s not just in the story of Hanukkah that we see these themes. They’re throughout the bible in both the Old and New Testaments, and if you’re paying attention, you’ll see them in your life and those around you. He is all-powerful, and he can do absolutely anything. And He’s always, always faithful to His people. He was then, He is now, and He will be forever. Now THAT’s worth celebrating!
2. Read His Word
Here are a few scripture selections to read to bring your focus onto the themes of Hanukkah:
- Exodus 25:31-40, 37:17-24, and 40:24-25, 34-38
- Leviticus 24:1-4
- The book of Esther
- Matthew 5:14-16
- John 9:1-12, 10:22-42, and 14:16-17
- Romans 8:1-17
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
- Ephesians 1:7
- 1 John 1:5-10
3. Dig into History
While the story of Hanukkah isn’t in the Protestant bible, you can still read it for yourself. It’s found in the first and second books of the Maccabees. Since most Protestants don’t have a copy, here’s a link to thebooks of the Maccabeeswhere you can read the whole story behind the celebration of Hanukkah.
4. Light the Menorah
Lighting the menorah is by far the most common tradition during Hanukkah. The menorah used during Hanukkah isn’t the same as the one used in the Temple – a seven-branch menorah or lampstand, as it’s called in most translations. The one used during Hanukkah is called aHanukkiah.Instead of 7, it has nine branches to hold nine candles, one for each of Hanukkah’s eight nights, and one to light the others, called theshamash.
One candle is lit each night, using the candle in the tallest candleholder to light the others. They’re traditionally lit from left to right, and a new candle is added to the Hanukkiah on the right side each night. A blessing is usually said as the candles are lit.
5. Cook in Oil
Dishes served during Hanukkah are usually those cooked in oil to remember the story of the oil miracle in the Temple Menorah. Two of the most well-known are potato pancakes calledlatkesand jelly doughnuts calledsufganiyot.
6. Play Dreidel
While this tradition probably has little to do with the history of Hanukkah, it’s a fun game to play during this celebration that will entertain adults and children. Besides a few (2 or more) fun friends or family members, two things are necessary to enjoy playing Dreidel. Adreideland something to use as chips or tokens, such aschocolate coins, also calledgelt.
A dreidel has four sides, with 4 Hebrew letters on them: nun (נ), gimmel (ג), hay (ה), and shin (שׁ). These letters stand for “Nes gadol hayah sham” or “A great miracle happened there.”
Here’s how to play.
Each player must start the game with an equal number of tokens or chips (this can be almost anything small and numerous. My family has used pennies and M&Ms, but we like chocolate coins best).
To begin each round, each player puts one token into the pot (the middle). The first player spins the dreidel once and follows the directions, depending on which side of the dreidel is up when it stops spinning.
If nun (נ) is showing, the player gets nothing, and their turn is over.
Gimmel (ג) means the player gets the entire pot!
Hay (ה) entitles the player to half of the pot’s contents (if there’s an odd number, take half plus one).
If the shin (שׁ) side is up, the player must put one token in the pot.
If the pot has one or less during the game, each player puts one token in to keep the game going.
When a player runs out of tokens, they are “out.”
The winner is the one who gets all the tokens, ending that round of the game.
7. Give Gifts
Gift-giving is another Hanukkah tradition that isn’t rooted in history. It’s a specifically American tradition, probably resulting from Hanukkah’s proximity to Christmas on our calendar. Some families give one gift each night of Hanukkah, and some even hide them to make it even more fun!
8. Decorate Your Home
Aside from your menorah, the options for decorating your home during Hanukkah are endless. I’ve seen creative and beautiful Hanukkah decorations to complement any décor. We’ve made garlands out of theseStarsand usually have one of theseHappy Hanukkah banners hangingaround the house.
9. Make Some Cookies
We have a tradition of baking and decoratingcookiesthis time of year, and how we do that has morphed over the years. We have settled on a beautiful combination of menorahs and stars of David, mixed with crosses, to reflect our faith and what we celebrate this time of year.
10. Get Your Hebrew On
Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hanukah, or Chanukkah – how is it spelled? Well, none of these are precisely correct because the Hebrew word, meaning “to dedicate” in remembrance of the re-dedication of the Temple, is spelledחֲנֻכָּה.
The first letter, chet, is guttural and has no equivalent sound in English. It’s pronounced in the back of your throat like the sound the “ch” makes at the end of “Bach.” Go ahead. Give it a try – Chanukkah.
Greet your Hanukkah guests with style! The standard greeting used during Hanukkah in English is “Happy Hanukkah!”. In Hebrew, it’s “Hanukkah Sameach”(Chan-uh-kuh Sam-ay-ach).
If you plan on celebrating a Christian Hanukkah tradition in your home, these ten ideas should get you started. However you celebrate, ensure God gets all the glory for His infinite power and faithfulness to His people!
I wish you and your family a very Happy Hanukkah!
