Hanukkah 2023 begins tonight—here's what to know and how to celebrate

Get your dreidels ready because the first day of Hanukkah is here! Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish celebration, known as the Festival of Lights, where friends and families gather to eat tasty food and celebrate the themes of hope, light, and perseverance. If you’re looking to celebrate Hanukkah or are looking to give a gift to someone who does, we’re here to help. We’ll go through everything to know about Hanukkah 2023, including things you can buy to celebrate the holiday.

What does Hanukkah celebrate?

Hanukkah — sometimes spelled Chanukah after an alternative transliteration of the Hebrew word from which it's derived — is an eight-day, annual Jewish holiday. It commemorates the victories over the forces of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the 2nd-century BCE rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Leading the revolt were Mattathias and Judas Maccabeus, who lit a menorah, an elaborate candelabra, inside the temple with enough oil to last for a day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days, establishing the length of the celebration that we know today.

During Hanukkah, observants light a Hanukkah menorah, play a spinning top game called dreidel, and eat festive holiday foods to celebrate their dedication to Judaism and light overcoming darkness.

When is Hanukkah 2023?

This year, Hanukkah begins at sundown today, December 7 and ends at sundown on Friday, December 15.

Hanukkah is observed annually from the 25th day of Kislev to the 2nd or 3rd day of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar. As the Hebrew calendar differs from the standard Gregorian calendar, this means that every year, Hanukkah is observed on different dates. Hanukkah can begin as early as November 27 or as late as December 26.

Unlike other multi-day holidays that are observed this time of year, such as Diwali or Kwanzaa, specific days of Hanukkah aren’t given special names nor are they associated with specific events.

Are gifts given on Hanukkah?

Gift-giving isn’t a religious part of the Jewish holiday, however, it has become a growing tradition for centuries that originates from giving a small token of gratitude to one’s religious school teachers.

This gift-giving gesture would eventually play a bigger role in the holiday as the tradition extended to parents and relatives wanting to give gifts to their children. With the proximity of the holiday to Christmas, the number of gifts advertised for Hanukkah has increased significantly, but it all stems from the Jewish tradition of giving a small amount of money or gelt (chocolate coins). Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to gift items associated with the celebration such as beautiful Hanukkah menorahs, food, gelt, or games.

Things to help you celebrate Hanukkah 2023

A greeting card

Hallmark has countless cards for just about every occasion you can think of and yes, that includes Hanukkah. Choose from various cute designs to give someone a simple, yet thoughtful Hanukkah gift.

Shop Hanukkah cards at Hallmark

A Jewish cookbook

A big part of Hanukkah is eating lots of delicious food, from snacks to full meals. For inspiration on what to cook, there are many cookbooks you can peruse like Eat Something which features over 60 kosher recipes.

A stand mixer

If you’re working on dough for sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts), we recommend a quality stand mixer, such as the best we’ve tested, the GE Profile Smart Mixer which features a built-in scale, a thermometer, auto-sense technology, and easily-accessible controls.

A piping kit

To fill your sufganiyot with jelly, we recommend using a piping kit to do it with ease.

A steel dredge

Finally, top your sufganiyot with powdered sugar using a nifty dredge like this one and you’re ready to get to eating.

A fry pan

Whether you’re making sufganiyot for the occasion or latkes (deep-fried potato pancakes), you’ll want a fry pan to make your food as tasty as can be. Our favorite that we've tested is OXO’s Non-Stick Pro 10-inch Open Frypan. It’s comfortable to use, heats up quickly, and its nonstick properties are unmatched.

A grater

If you’re looking to make latkes this Hanukkah, you’ll first need to shred your potatoes. One way to do this is by using a grater. The best one you can buy is the Microplane Four Blade Four Sided Box Grater, which we found to be super sharp and dishwasher safe.

If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, you can instead use a shredder attachment.

White and blue wrapping paper

While Hanukkah doesn’t have official colors, many associate the holiday with blue and white or silver, so you can adorn your house with blue and white decorations. There is a wealth of wrapping paper options specific to Hanukkah, including this cute design from Target that features menorahs.

A Hanukkah picture book

Reading a picture book is a fun and engaging way for young children to learn about Hanukkah. One book to check out is Latkes and Applesauce: A Hanukkah Story, written by the Association of Jewish Libraries Notable Children's book citation award winner, Fran Manushkin. This beautifully illustrated book shows the power of kindness.

A Hanukkah menorah

The menorah is the centerpiece of all Hanukkah celebrations as observants light a candle for each day of the holiday. The candelabra used for Hanukkah specifically is called a hanukkiah, a type of menorah that features 9 branches instead of the 8 found on a typical menorah. If you’re looking for a more modern Hanukkah menorah to use this holiday season, check out this absolutely gorgeous ANNA New York Coluna Menorah, available in both gold and silver.

You don’t have to spend a ton to get a beautiful menorah to use. For a more traditional (and less expensive) one, check out this one from Target that’s only $30 bucks.

Hanukkah candles

For candles, we recommend using these colorful, beeswax candles to make Hanukkah even more of a festive occasion. Pro tip: you’ll want to find Hanukkah-specific candles so that you can ensure they properly fit a standard menorah.

A dreidel

Dreidel is a four-sided traditional top game that is traditionally played during Hanukkah by children and adults alike. The winner gets gelt, a.k.a. tasty chocolate coins. If you’re a dreidel novice, there’s no need to worry, as this dreidel set by the Dreidel Company comes with instructions on how to play.

Gelt

Gelt refers to money given during Hanukkah as a gift or won while playing dreidel. While real money is often given, a popular alternative is gifting people with chocolate coins wrapped in a gold wrapper. Many brands sell chocolate, including kosher gelt.

Matching pajamas

Matching pajamas are a great way to foster a sense of unity for the whole family this Hanukkah. It doesn’t hurt that matching pajamas make for a great photo op for next year’s Hanukkah cards. Macy’s is just one of the many stores that offer matching pajama sets this Hanukkah.

Shop the Hanukkah matching pajama collection at Macy’s

Board games

With everyone gathered together, Hanukkah is the perfect time to play board games with your friends and family. If Dreidel wasn’t enough and you’re looking for a Hanukkah-themed game specifically, check out this Hanukkah bingo, which comes with 18 uniquely shaped game cards along with 18 marker sheets, caller chips, and playing instructions.