6 Fun & Surprising Israeli Hanukkah Traditions We Love

While many Jews outside of Israel have Hanukkah candles made of wax on a standing menorah inside the house, in Israel most Jewish homes put their Hanukkah menorahs in windows facing the street or in special glass boxes right outside the home. Many Israeli menorahs also use oil cups, rather than wax candles, as the Hanukkah miracle of the Temple menorah surrounded the use of oil.

In addition, in the sprit of publicizing the Hanukkah miracle, there are many lights outside put up along streets and in public areas.

Walking around any part of Israel can feel magical with all the Hanukkah lights being put out at the same time!

You've probably hosted or been to a Hanukkah party, but you might be surprised to know that there's a common Israeli custom to have housewarming parties during Hanukkah! Many people who move into a new home within a couple months of the holiday schedule a housewarming party to coincide with Hanukkah celebrations - with classic Hanukkah foods, wine, holiday lights, and of course, housewarming gifts.

That's because the word "Hanukkah" means "dedication," in honor of the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees at the heart of the holiday story, and the same word is also part of the Hebrew term for a new home celebration: "hanukkat habayit," or literally "dedication of the home." Jewish and Israeli culture loves puns and Hebrew word play, and hence a fun association between Hanukkah and housewarmings took hold.

Shop Israeli housewarming gifts here!

Doughnuts may be an increasingly popular Hanukkah dessert abroad, but no one does sufganiyot like Israel! These doughnuts are deep fried and traditionally filled with jelly, but these days they can also be seen at Israeli shops and bakeries with cream fillings and toppings of all flavors, ranging from usual favorites like chocolate to more eccentric flavors including alcohol infusions.

Sufganiyot are Israel's official Hanukkah food (with a fascinating history you can read about here), and the symbol of the holiday season for many Israelis, who consume millions of them every December.

On the other hand, latkes, the famous American-Jewish staple of the Hanukkah season, are not as popular in the Land of Israel. Perhaps it's because they don’t look as fancy, combined with the fact that while as much as 80-90% of American Jews are Ashkenazi, Israel's population is majority Mizrahi and has different food traditions than Ashkenazi classics like the latke. Nonetheless, potato pancakes can still be found in a number of Israeli homes on Hanukkah, along with other classic holiday foods from Jewish traditions around the world.

While you might not think of December as wedding season, especially if you live in a colder climate, Hanukkah is actually a popular time for weddings in Israel!

Temperatures are mild as winter is not yet in full swing in Israel during this time, and the general festive atmosphere of Hanukkah, plus many people having off from work or school, makes it easy to get into the wedding spirit. Israeli wedding halls even have large Hanukkah menorahs on hand to use during wedding receptions.

Whether you have loved ones getting married soon or in a few months, it's never too early to start your shopping - so shop Jewish wedding gifts from Israel here!

At the Western Wall, around where the Hanukkah miracle took place, and elsewhere at notable sites and public spaces around Israel there are massive replica-style menorahs that are lit for each of the 8 nights of Hanukkah. These public Hanukkah menorah lightings often draw large crowds, who come to pray or to simply enjoy the festive holiday atmosphere.

One interesting and surprising detail is that the olive oil used for the large Hanukkah menorah at the Western Wall is green and not yellow. This is because back during the times of the Temple, the olive oil for the Temple Menorah could not be made from crushed olives, only those that had been very lightly squeezed - which causes the oil the retain a green shade. Today any oil can be used for lighting Hanukkah menorahs, but using the original green oil for the majestic Western Wall menorah is an extra detail that brings out a sense of pride, care, and beauty.

Overall, these magnificent, public Hanukkah menorahs and their festive lighting ceremonies are a beautiful holiday custom that adds a touch of tradition and festivity for many Israelis.

Israelis aren't as big on Hanukkah gift giving as Jews in North America, as that particular custom was significantly influenced by the general gift-giving atmosphere of the American December holiday season.

In lieu of more substantial gifts, most Israelis instead spread holiday cheer by giving each other tasty treats like sufganiyot, chocolate goodies, gift baskets, and most commonly, chocolate coins also known as gelt.

Hanukkah gelt is especially given out to children, harkening back to an old Ashkenazi tradition of giving actual money and later chocolate coins to kids to encourage Torah learning. Still, Israelis of all ages are excited to taste these festively foil-wrapped treats every winter, as Israel's chocolatiers make special, limited holiday runs of them only for Hanukkah and later for Purim. The chocolate coins are also used in games of dreidel, and as festive holiday table decor.

Get some scrumptious, Israeli-made chocolate coins right here, and check out our line of cool Hanukkah-themed gifts to express your Jewish pride year-round!

Happy Hanukkah from all of us at Judaica Webstore!