Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating the 'Festival of Lights'

Hanukkah, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, is a festive eight-day celebration that is set to kick off this evening, Thursday, December 10. Also called the Festival of Lights, the holiday brings light, joy, and warmth to homes and communities as the special holiday is celebrated with candles, food, family, and friends.

At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting. The menorah holds nine flames, one of which is the shamash (“attendant”), which is used to light the other eight candles. On the first night, just one flame is lit. On the second night, an additional flame is lit. By the eighth night of Chanukah, all eight lights are kindled. As part of the holiday, it is customary to play with a dreidel (a four-sided spinning top). The game is usually played for a pot of coins, nuts, or other stuff, which is won or lost based on which letter the dreidel lands when it is spun.

While this year's Hanukkah may be a little different due to the pandemic, here at UHS we would like to wish everyone celebrating a very Happy Hanukkah!