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Glite Dictionary
🕎 Jewish holiday 🕎 Jewish festival
Hanukkah

Hanukkah

3.5
An eight-day Jewish festival when families light a special candle holder and eat traditional foods
  • noun
  • /ˈhɑːnʊkə/
translation icon : Janucá
  • So right now we're going to Xander's Hanukkah party at his preschool.

So tonight is the second night of Hanukkah.

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Examples

  • You know, how's, how's Hanukkah going for you?

    Bussin' With The Boys

  • All right, But it's also Hanukkah, and we celebrate both at our house, Christmas and Hanukkah.

  • It's the seventh night of Hanukkah, and so many Jews across the nation are scared at the moment.

  • During Hanukkah, families light the menorah and enjoy traditional foods together.

  • Many people decorate their homes with festive lights to celebrate Hanukkah each year.

  • The story of Hanukkah teaches us about resilience and faith in difficult times.

Synonyms

Chanukkah
vsHanukkah
1 5.6

An eight-day Jewish festival when people light a menorah each night

is the common English spelling rather than this transliteration
Channukah
vsHanukkah
5.7

An eight-day Jewish festival when families light candles to remember the Temple in Jerusalem being made holy again

is the standard spelling in many texts instead of this variant
Feast of the Dedication
vsHanukkah
7.8

An eight-day Jewish festival in winter called Hanukkah that celebrates the Temple in Jerusalem being made holy again

is the common short name rather than this formal phrase
Feast of Dedication
vsHanukkah
6.9

An eight-day Jewish festival also called Hanukkah that remembers the Temple in Jerusalem being made holy again

is the familiar shorter name rather than this formal wording
Feast of Lights
vsHanukkah
4.8

An eight-day Jewish holiday called Hanukkah when families light candles each night to remember a miracle

is the common Hebrew-derived name rather than this descriptive phrase
Festival of Lights
vsHanukkah
3.5

An eight-day Jewish holiday celebrating the Temple in Jerusalem being made holy again by lighting a menorah

is the traditional Hebrew name rather than this broad descriptive title

Surface Forms

Hanukkah singular
Hanukkahs plural

Etymology

Hanukkah comes from a Hebrew word hanukkah meaning 'dedication'. It remembers when the Temple was dedicated again and a small jar of oil lasted eight nights, so the name explains why people light candles for eight nights.