Hanukkah 2025 is a glorious eight-day Jewish festival that celebrates hope, faith, and the miracle of the oil that lasted eight nights. Every year, millions of families worldwide wake up early to light the Hanukkiah, eat traditional foods, play games, and create meaningful moments that bind generations together. In this guide, you will find what Hanukkah is, the history of the holiday, and how the Hanukkah tradition is followed nowadays, all in one place.
You will also find the most popular Hanukkah gifts on Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy, along with curated decor, menorahs, and family-friendly items. And whether you are in the U.S. or not, Ship7 can enable you to shop across the following leading retailers and have the Hanukkah items delivered to you all over the world at low prices, enabling you to enjoy the festival in the comfort of the place you live.
Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is the Festival of Lights. In Hebrew, the term Hanukkah means dedication, and is used to refer to the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, after its repossession by the Maccabees. This scene symbolizes bravery, hope, and the ability to live as Jews.
This holiday is celebrated in honour of the famous miracle of the oil, where a little pure oil found in the Temple, which was hardly enough to last a day, burned brightly for eight days. It is because of this miracle that the Jewish families light the hanukkiah (Hanukkah menorah) eight nights and feast with foods that are cooked in oil.
Hanukkah dates back to the 2nd century BCE when the Jewish nation was under the dictatorship of the Seleucid Greek empire. It was during this period that the Greeks prohibited Jewish practices in the country and occupied the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. A few Jewish warriors known as the Maccabees organized a rebellion, and they bravely fought to obtain their land and religious liberty.
When they won, they went to the Temple to rebuild it. As they were making the menorah, they found that there was one small vial of oil. Although this was sufficient for a given day, it went on burning for eight days before fresh oil was made ready. This moment marked the basis of celebrating Hanukkah as an indication of hope, perseverance, and the victory of light over darkness.
Hanukkah 2025 starts at sundown on Sunday, December 14, 2025, and closes at sundown on Monday, December 22, 2025. The festival begins on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and lasts eight days.
Every evening, the families add one candle to the hanukkiah, eat festive meals, exchange gifts, and participate in significant family customs. The Hebrew calendar is Lunar and thus the dates vary annually, though Hanukkah typically falls at the end of November or December.
Jewish individuals celebrate Hanukkah in remembrance of the triumph of the Maccabees and the miracle of oil. It reminds us of the fight for religious freedom, the force of togetherness, and the necessity of maintaining faith through rough times.
The other historical explanation is related to Sukkot, which is one of the major festivals that the Jewish people were unable to celebrate during the war. Once they had re-taken the Temple, they conducted a late-Sukkot celebration, eight days long. As the miracle of the oil also extended by eight days, Hanukkah became an eight-day festival full of light and thanksgiving.
Hanukkah comes with meaningful traditions, which pay tribute to the miracle of light and the strength of Jewish history. Every night, families come together to light candles, have celebrations, and share cheerful traditions that make the spirit of Hanukkah memorable. Below is a brief description of each of the major traditions.
The most significant tradition is the lighting of the nine-branched Hanukkiah. The eight candles signify the eight days, and the ninth candle is known as the shamash and is used to light the others. On the first night, there is one candle. A candle is added every night to a point where all eight candles are glowing on the last night.
A dreidel is a standard spinning top that has four letters in the Hebrew language: Nun, Gimel, Hey, and Shin. These are abbreviated as “A Great Miracle Happened There”. Dreidel games are played with children and adults, usually with gelt, including coins or chocolates.
The foods fried in oil pay tribute to the miracle of the oil. Popular dishes include:
Most families give out small presents every night, sing Hanukkah songs, tell stories, and have gatherings. Some communities conduct mass menorah lightings to spread the message of hope and freedom.
Each year, big retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have incredible Hanukkah gifts, such as menorahs, Hanukkah decor, toys, technological devices, personal care bundles, and warm winter accessories. These shops tend to have December sales, and it is not difficult to purchase high-quality gifts for all eight days.
An elegant glass menorah that can fit into any room design and also provides compatibility with any color of candles.
Dreidels made of colorful wood, which can be used as a family game and decorations.
A premium box of kosher snacks and winter delights.
Dishes and table pieces for family and party decorations.
Playful decorations, banners, balloons, and so on.
Fashionable decoration of modern houses.
Best high-tech presents for relatives.
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Technology products at reasonable prices for all ages.
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Hanukkah is eight days and eight nights long. It starts at sundown on December 14, 2025, and ends at sundown on December 22, 2025.
Hanukkah means dedication, which is the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem, which was taken by the Maccabees.
The important symbols are the hanukkiah that reminds us of the miracle of the oil, the dreidel that reminds us of A Great Miracle Happened There, and gelt that reminds us of blessings and generosity.
Hanukkah is also a minor Jewish festival in Jewish law since it does not forbid work, as major holidays like Passover or Yom Kippur do. The culture has become popular over time, particularly because it is close to the winter holiday season.
Traditional Hanukkah foods include latkes, sufganiyot, bimetzomo, and gelt, usually cooked in oil. These foodstuffs celebrate the miracle of the oil that burns for eight days.
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