Hanukkah Story for Kids (Hanukkah Lessons and Activities for Holiday Learning)

Use the Hanukkah story for teaching kids about Hanukkah with traditions, menorah, dreidels, Hanukkah blessings (including printable Hanukkah story)! Holiday resources for lesson plans, Hanukkah games and activities, and Hanukkah crafts for kids to learn about the Festival of Lights, including a quick story of Chanukah and how to explain the Hannukah Story to kids. Our guest contributor also answers do Christians celebrate this Jewish holiday. Great for Hanukkah themes for preschool / Hanukkah preschool lesson plans and kids activities for the holidays.

Hanukkah Story – What Is Hanukkah and How Is It Celebrated? Hanukkah Lesson Plans for Kids

These Hanukkah teaching resources are great for homeschool holiday lessons or Hanukkah classroom activities! (If you’re wondering how to teach Hanukkah to preschoolers or younger kids, these will help too!)

How do you explain Hanukkah to a child?

The Hanukkah Story for Kids:

What does Hanukkah celebrate? Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that is celebrated each year for eight nights by lighting candles on a candelabra called a menorah. The holiday honors regaining control of The Second Temple and a miracle where only one day of menorah oil lasted eight days and nights. The holiday is also called The Festival of Lights (or Miracle of Lights) because of the lighting of the menorah and is celebrated with food, games, and gifts.

(Don’t miss the Jewish Hanukkah story printable below, including a printable Hanukkah bingo game! It’s a great printable Hanukkah story for preschoolers, too.)

 

What kids should know about Hanukkah?

Story of Hanukkah summary: Hanukkah is celebrated to honor The Second Temple rededication after the Maccabees revolted against the Greeks, who wanted the Jewish people to no longer honor Jewish traditions. The menorah in The Temple was supposed to remain lit, but during the desecration, the menorah was no longer lit. After regaining control of The Temple, there was only one night of oil for the menorah. However, the story tells that a miracle happened and the menorah remained lit for eight full days and nights on only one day of oil!

Use any of these for Hanukkah kindergarten lesson plans, preschool ideas, or even elementary and middle school lessons for the holidays.

 

Hanukkah Dates 2022

Hanukkah 2022 begins on the evening of Sunday, December 18, 2022, and ends on the evening of Monday, December 26, 2022. This year, Hanukkah and Christmas are the same dates, but that is not always the case. The Hanukkah dates change each year.

 

What is the short story of Hanukkah? (Great for Hanukkah in the classroom lessons)

 

Great for Hanukkah Lesson Plan Preschool / Hanukkah Teaching for Younger Kids

 

Why does the date of Hanukkah change every year?

The date of Hanukkah changes each year. Hanukkah is based on the 25th day of Kislev of the Hebrew calendar, which is based on the Sun and Moon cycles (unlike the Gregorian calendar, which is based on 365 days divided into 12 months). 

 

 

 

The Hanukkah Miracle: Story Behind Hanukkah

The eight nights of lighting candles in a Menorah comes from something known as “The Hanukkah Miracle.”

The Hanukkah story miracle goes like this:

During the Jewish revolt of the Maccabees against the Syrians in the year 165 BC, the story goes that there was only enough oil to burn the lanterns for one night.

However, the sparse oil continued to burn for eight nights, allowing them enough time to find more oil.

This miracle inspired an eight-day celebration each year.

 

Are Chanukah and Hanukkah the same thing?

Both Chanukah and Hanukkah are correct. Hanukkah is the most widely used spelling in English speaking worlds, while Chanukah is the more traditional spelling for the festival. (The “C” in Chanukah is silent.)

 

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What Happens During Hanukkah?

Hanukkah Facts

• During Hanukkah, or The Jewish Festival of Lights, a family lights candles in a candelabra, called a hanukkiah, on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah.
• Even though there are eight nights of Hanukkah, the Hanukkah candelabra actually has nine candles.
• The ninth candle is called the shamash, or “helper” candle, because it is used to light the other candles.
• Blessings are usually recited during the lighting of the candles each night.
• The night also includes eating special foods, exchanging a gift, and also spending family time together playing games like Dreidel, a spinning top with four sides.
• The Hebrew word for “dedication” is “Hanukkah.”
• Hanukkah is not the “Jewish Christmas.”

 

Does a menorah have 7 or 9 candles?

A menorah has seven candles and represents the seven-branched lamp from the Second Temple. It is the one that remained lit during the “Hanukkah Miracle” tale.

A hanukiah has nine candles and is the candelabra that is designed specifically to use for Hanukkah. One is the “helper” candle to light the other eight candles, one each night of Hanukkah.

Today, the words menorah and hanukiah are often used interchangeably to mean the candelabra that is lit during Hanukkah, with menorah being the most often used term.

What food is eaten during Hanukkah?

What kind of food is served at Hanukkah?

• Sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts)
• Latkes (potato pancakes) 
• Matzo ball soup
• Challah (a special braided bread made from eggs)
• Rugelach (a flaky dough pastry filled with cinnamon or chocolate)

 

Do you give gifts for Hanukkah?

Traditionally, coins or chocolate was given to children on each night of Hanukkah. However, many parents today give each child one small—thoughtful and personal—gift after the lighting of the Menorah.

 

Is Hanukkah in the Bible?

Here’s what History.com states about the story of Hanukkah in Bible, “The story of Hanukkah does not appear in the Torah because the events that inspired the holiday occurred after it was written. The [Hanukkah story in the Bible] however, is mentioned in the New Testament, in which Jesus attends a ‘Feast of Dedication.'”

 

How to Play Dreidel

Dreidel (or dreidl) is a fun game that you play during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. It is a four-sided spinning top game with special characters painted on the side.

(Get a dreidel letters printable below!)

What does the dreidel mean?

The word comes from the German word drehen or  “to spin.”

 

What are the symbols on the dreidel?

There are four Hebrew letters, one on each side of the dreidel.

They are:

• Nun, meaning nothing
• Gimmel, meaning all
• Hei, meaning half
• Shin, meaning put in

They also stand for the Hebrew phrase nes gadol hayah sham, meaning “a great miracle happened there.”

 

How do you play a dreidel?

1. Give each player an equal number of game pieces (usually 10-15) like coins, raisins, candy pieces, or chocolate gelt.
2. Each person puts one game piece in the center, which is the pot.
3. The first player spins the dreidel. Depending on the character facing up, the player does one of the following: 
   • Nun: the player does nothing
   • Gimel: the player gets everything in the pot
   • Hei: the player gets half the pot 
   • Shin: the player adds one game piece to the pot
4. Repeat the process. (If the pot is empty at any point, the players put one piece in.)
5. When the player is out of pieces, they are out of the game.
6. Continue play until everyone is out but one player.

If you have all have your own dreidl set, you can easily make this part of your virtual Hanukkah games! Get the rules for dreidel printables below!

 

Why do we play dreidel?

The legend of the dreidel says that it was a way for children to hide that they were studying the Torah, which then was a punishable offense.

 

Here’s what our guest contributor Lisa Farrar Wellman had to say about adding Hanukkah to her Christian family celebrations.

Why My Christian Family Celebrates Hanukkah

The most I knew about the Hanukkah story was that sometimes characters in one of my books celebrated it.

And there was this weird, little spinning toy, big candelabrum, and a Hanukkah story book to talk about the Hanukkah story for kids.

It’s not that I don’t care about Jewish holidays, it’s just that we are Christians so we celebrate Christmas.

I find myself more and more just trying to get our politically-correct world to say Christmas or write it out without fear it will trigger a global meltdown.

I didn’t have time to learn about (much less teach my children) what the Jews are up to this time of year.

But wait a second…

The Savior of the World, God’s only Son, the guy who died for me?

He was Jewish and when I think about that, suddenly Hanukkah isn’t just a word on the mass-produced calendar hanging on my wall.

It’s part of my adopted heritage, it’s part of my Lord’s legacy and it’s worth learning and teaching.

 

Holiday Miracles

Christmas is the celebration of miracles—a baby born to a virgin, the King of Kings in a feeding trough, a ridiculously bright star, angels talking to shepherds.

Well, Hanukkah is a story of miracles, too.

It’s the story of a small band of Jews fighting for their homeland, reclaiming Jerusalem and then discovering that their one-day supply of consecrated oil lasts for eight, long days.

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorates the survival of Judaism, as well.

Let’s be honest—that is a huge miracle, too.

The world is historically cruel to Abraham’s family.

These miracles are worth celebrating and exploring.

 

Celebrating Hanukkah for the First Time

You can buy a menorah just about anywhere—local and online stores, thrift stores, or you can make one with eight single candlesticks.

If you have very young children and don’t want to use actual fire, construction paper cutouts of candles work, as well. Hang them up one at a time for eight nights in a row allowing each child the honor of hanging a candle.

We live in a big city so we often see menorahs glimmering in front of buildings or in windows.

Do a quick internet search and show your kiddos what menorahs look like.

Just familiarizing yourselves with the most recognizable Hanukkah symbol will help your kids see the holiday as part of their world and may draw their interest, as well.

 

Hanukkah involves symbolism, special blessings and songs that most Christians simply do not know, but again, educate yourself so you can use them.

This devotional is simple, designed for Christians, and easy to incorporate into your December.

I always fall back on the trusty library for books about the holiday or you might even find a local church that’s learning about Hanukkah, too and would welcome you to join it.

Call a synagogue in your area and tell them what you’re up to!

I bet they’d love to share about their faith and their special festival with your family. 

(Wouldn’t you jump at the chance to share the real meaning of Christmas with someone?)

One of my best friends celebrates Hanukkah with her family and I thought I’d share a bit of her experience with you.

 

At first, the kids were a bit confused, to be honest, says Blakely Bunning, mom to four.

 

Hanukkah is a Jewish thing, right?

 

And, we’re not Jewish.

 

Plus, we’ve never done this before and I don’t understand what this IS.

 

But, after the first nightly devotional, the light bulb went on.

 

By day eight, they were looking forward to lighting the next candle, learning what it symbolized and bridging it together with what they’ve always learned in church interactions. 

 

It was very exciting to see.

 

And this year, they are already asking if we can ‘do Hanukkah again.’

 

Searching Pinterest for Hanukkah crafts, recipes and educational materials than you could possibly imagine.

The options are endless.

But don’t get bogged down under the weight of all those choices.

Keep it simple, especially your first year.

I ask my children what about Hanukkah they want to explore and take it from there.

Maybe you’re not ready to actually celebrate Hanukkah but want to include it in a list of December holidays to study and discuss.

That’s great!

Do what works for your family. Try reading a Hanukkah picture book while the littles make a dreidel.

Create traditional Hanukkah goodies such as doughnuts or potato latkes.

(A holiday celebrated with fried food? Yes, please!)

 

Enhancing Christmas with the Hanukkah Story

Hanukkah doesn’t take away from our Christmas celebration.

It doesn’t distract us or change our focus.

In fact, one celebration points to the other and the One we celebrate at Christmas shines all the brighter and means even more because our family knows Him and His people and they are our people, too.

I want to leave you with final thoughts from my friend:

“Observing Hanukkah became important to us, as we learned more about the Jewish roots of our Christian faith. Although not technically part of the biblical holy days, we learned a great deal about our faith and our Creator through Hanukkah devotions. Hanukkah is a remembrance and celebration of miracles. Humans are a largely forgetful people, and taking deliberate time to remember the merciful goodness Our Good Father has shown us became significant. Hanukkah is just one such celebration to remember who God is, what He has done for us, and what He will do for us always.”

Happy Hanukkah. Merry Christmas.

 

Lessons to Help Learn Hanukkah Traditions and Understand The Hanukkah Story

Use these fun Hanukkah activities, projects, lessons, and crafts to learn more about the Hanukkah Story. Great for studying the story of Hanukkah for elementary school and up or even Hanukkah projects preschool and kindergarten Hanukkah kids activities and Hanukkah in the classroom ideas.

Resources for Teaching About Hanukkah

1. Get Hanukkah Printable Coloring Pages and Activity Sheets for Hanukkah themes for kids (great if you’re looking for Hanukkah activity for kindergarten and preschool Hanukkah printables, too!)
2. Celebrate Hanukkah in Israel
3. Read about The Maccabees: The Jewish Freedom Fighters
4. Make Hanukkah art and Make Your Own Maccabee Shield and display it as part of your Jewish decor for classroom or Hanukkah bulletin boards
5. How Much Oil Would You Need? lesson plan (great for holiday STEM projects or science lessons for Hanukkah)
6. Learn All About Judaism
7. Make Hanukkah interactive and Design your own Dreidel 
8. Do Hanukkah crafts / Hanukkah printable crafts
9. Make a Macaroni Menorah! while discussing Hanukkah
10. Create edible Dreidels craft
11. Make an oil lantern
12. Practice probability by spinning Dreidels with Hanukkah math worksheets 
13. Play online Hanukkah games, songs, and more for kids
14. Watch Hanukkah video for students (Hanukkah history video)

Read children’s books about Hanukkah (great for teaching Hanukkah to preschoolers!)

The Ninth Night of Hanukkah Children’s Book

All About Hanukkah Children’s Book

The Night Before Hanukkah kids’ book

Latke The Lucky Dog Hanukkah Children’s Book

 

 

Guest contributor Lisa Farrar Wellman is a freelance writer from Austin, Texas. She writes about her family’s travel adventures at www.armedonlywiththis.com.

DO YOU INCORPORATE THE HANUKKAH STORY IN YOUR HOLIDAY LESSONS?