Hanukkah is an eight day celebration that honors the miracle that occurred as the Maccabees worked to clean the temple and rededicate it to God after the army of the king Antiochus IV Epiphanes had desecrated it. Although the Maccabees only had enough oil to burn the lamp for one night, God made the oil last eight nights.
Today, Jewish people around the world celebrate the holiday by lighting candles in a menorah over the course of eight nights.
Here are some resources, articles and videos to help you learn more about Hanukkah!
Should Christians Celebrate Hanukkah?
In this blog post, Lisa Strnad reminds us that as Christians, we can celebrate all of God’s miracles, including the burning of the oil for eight nights. The menorah can help us remember God’s provision in our lives as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus!
Buck Denver Asks… Why Do We Call It Christmas?
The story behind Christmas, Santa, Hanukkah, holiday traditions and more, giving families a culturally-relevant and Jesus-honoring overview of the Christmas season.
Clive & Ian Explain Hanukkah
Our favorite British brothers explain Hanukkah in their 12 Questions of Christmas video series. Clive explains to Ian that Hanukkah is a holiday that comes before Christmas in history, therefore Jesus celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas celebrates Jesus! After watching the video, read a history of Hanukkah below to learn more about the origins of the holiday.
Sunday School Lady Explains Hanukkah
In this video from Why Do We Call It Christmas?, Sunday School Lady explains the history of Hanukkah. Learn about the Maccabees and how they spent eight days re-dedicating the temple to God.
Additional Christmas resources from What’s In The Bible?
- Buck Denver Asks… Why Do We Call It Christmas?
- Who Is Santa Claus?
- 10 Best Christmas Coloring Pages
- Christmas Family Bible Reading Plan
- An Uncommon Christmas: How To Buy A Cow
- An Uncommon Christmas: Finding Joy When Grief Is Heavy
- An Uncommon Christmas: Raising Uncommon Kids
- An Uncommon Christmas: Unwrapping Change
- An Uncommon Christmas: Christmas On The Mission Field
- Creating Family Holiday Traditions
- Christmas Traditions Around The World
- Celebrating The Season Of Advent
- Understanding Hanukkah From A Christian Perspective
Your family can learn more about the history of Christmas, and how Santa Claus, Christmas Trees and many of our modern holiday traditions point back to Jesus in Phil Vischer’s Buck Denver Asks… Why Do We Call It Christmas? Now streaming on JellyTelly!
