Why do some people say Hanukkah while others say Chanukah? These are two different English spellings and both are correct. The Hebrew word for the festival of lights, Hanukkah Chanukah, consists of five Hebrew characters opening with the consonant het (chet). This letter is not the same as the English letter "h" (as in house). It is also not the same as "ch" (as in child). It is a Hebrew guttural sound that has no precise equivalent in English.
Hanukkah, the “Festival of Lights,” starts on the 25th day of the Jewish calendar month of Kislev and lasts for eight days and nights. With blessings, games, and festive foods, Hanukkah celebrates the triumphs, both religious and military, of ancient Jewish heroes.
In the past, Hanukkah was a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish year in the United States. The holiday's religious significance has been less than Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu'ot. It is roughly equivalent to Purim in significance. However, in modern times, its closeness to Christmas has brought greater attention to Hanukkah and its gift-giving, Hanukkah party traditions. Amid the ever-growing flood of Christmas advertising, it may seem especially fitting that the Hanukkah story tells of Jewish culture surviving in a non-Jewish world. More About Hanukkah . . . .
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