Hanukkah True Or False

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Hanukkah True or False

Test your knowledge and learn something new about this eight-day Jewish celebration. • Read and discuss the questions and answers below as a group activity. • Print copies of the questions (without the answers) to hand out for independent activities. Also available are the questions with the answers.

Hanukkah True or False

1. While Hanukkah is acceptable, Chanukah is the true spelling of this Jewish holiday. Answer: False. Hebrew is transliterated rather than translated. The Hebrew alphabet is so unique you cannot do letter-for-letter translations. Therefore, there are many interpretations of the correct English spelling of Hebrew words. There is not one correct spelling. Other spellings include Hanukah, Hannukah, and Chanukkah. 2. Hanukkah means “light” in English. Answer: False. “Dedication” is the closest English transliteration for the word Hanukkah. 3. Hanukkah is not considered one of the major Jewish religious holidays. Answer: True. Hanukkah is not considered one of Judaism’s high holidays, or important religious holidays. Yom Kippur is the holiest Jewish holiday, followed by Rosh Hashanah. 4. Currently, menorahs have holders for nine candles, but in ancient times, they held fewer candles. Answer: True. Ancient versions of menorahs have been excavated, but they have spaces for only four to seven lanterns or candles. Scholars are unsure about how and when the nine-part menorah was invented. 5. The first day of Hanukkah can fall on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Answer: True. The first day of Hanukkah changes yearly and sometimes coincides with Thanksgiving or Christmas. 6. Hanukkah is a celebration of the rededication of a Jewish temple that had been taken from the Jews and was being used to honor Zeus. Answer: True. The temple in the Hanukkah story was used to honor the god Zeus, who is not recognized in the Jewish tradition. 7. The tradition of lighting a candle each night of Hanukkah is described in the New Testament of the Bible. Answer: False. The Hanukkah story is included in only some editions of the Bible. It is always in the Old Testament.

©ActivityConnection.com – Hanukkah True or False – Page !1 of !3 8. Hanukkah is sometimes referred to as the “festival of darkest winter.” Answer: False. Hanukkah is often called the “festival of lights” because of the lighting of the menorah. 9. Richard Nixon was the first U.S. president to officially recognize Hanukkah. Answer: False. In 1979, Jimmy Carter was the first U.S. president to officially recognize Hanukkah when he lit a public Hanukkah menorah and spoke in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. 10. George W. Bush was the president who established the tradition of a White House Hanukkah party. Answer: True. President George W. Bush held the first White House Hanukkah party in 2001. 11. The four letters on the dreidel stand for the Hebrew phrase “light will conquer dark.” Answer: False. The four letters stand for a Hebrew phrase that means roughly “a great miracle happened there.” 12. Gelt, or money, is a traditional Hanukkah gift. Answer: True. Gelt in the form of currency or chocolate coins is a traditional Hanukkah gift. 13. Giving gifts on every night of Hanukkah is an ancient tradition. Answer: False. Giving gifts every day of Hanukkah is a modern adaptation of Hanukkah. Many people think that Hanukkah’s proximity to Christmas increased gift giving on Hanukkah. 14. No oil is eaten during Hanukkah in remembrance of how little oil the Jews had when they were reclaiming their temple. Answer: False: Eating foods fried in oil like latkes (potato pancakes) and doughnuts (especially jelly doughnuts) is encouraged during Hanukkah. 15. Blue and white are the colors of the Israeli flag. Answer: True. The Israeli flag is blue and white. Some people theorize that this is why Hanukkah decorations are often blue and white, but no one is certain how the blue-and-white color scheme became associated with Hanukkah. 16. The candles in the Hanukkah menorah are allowed to burn for eight minutes each night of the holiday. Answer: False. The candles lighted each night of Hanukkah stay lit until they go out or the candle is completely melted. 17. You need 44 candles to keep a menorah lit for the eight nights of Hanukkah. Answer: True. Every day the burned candles from the night before are replaced and an additional candle is burnt. The total number of candles needed is 44.

©ActivityConnection.com – Hanukkah True or False – Page !2 of !3 18. Dreidels were worn around the neck as a symbol of Jewish pride before they were used for gaming. Answer: False. Dreidels were used as decoys by Jews pretending to be playing a game when they were actually having a religious meeting. 19. Hanukkah begins on a day in November or December at sunrise. Answer: False. All Jewish holidays start at sundown, because the Jewish calendar considers sundown, not sunrise, the beginning of each day. 20. The Maccabees, the group credited with leading the charge to take back the Jewish temple, which Hanukkah celebrates, were named for the Maccabee Valley outside of Jerusalem. Answer: False. Maccabee is the surname of the Jewish family that instigated and organized the surge to reclaim the Jewish temple. 21. Olive oil is the oil most often associated with Hanukkah. Answer: True. Olive oil is the “official” Hanukkah oil. 22. Menorahs must be made from a precious metal. Answer: False. Menorahs can be made from almost anything. 23. The miracle of Hanukkah is that no lives were lost when the Jews reclaimed their temple. Answer: False. Reclaiming the temple was a military victory rather than a miracle, and there was bloodshed. The Hanukkah miracle is that a tiny amount of oil somehow lit the temple for eight nights. 24. Not all Jewish people supported taking military action to reclaim their temple. Answer: True. Many Jews did not feel it was necessary to fight a battle to reclaim their temple. 25. Menorahs are usually placed in windows where they can be seen easily from inside or outside. Answer: True. Menorahs are meant to be proudly displayed for all to see.

©ActivityConnection.com – Hanukkah True or False – Page !3 of !3 Hanukkah True or False (Questions Only) 1. While Hanukkah is acceptable, Chanukah is the true spelling of this Jewish holiday. Answer:! 2. Hanukkah means “light” in English. Answer:! 3. Hanukkah is not considered one of the major Jewish religious holidays. Answer:! 4. Currently, menorahs have holders for nine candles, but in ancient times, they held fewer candles. Answer:! 5. The first day of Hanukkah can fall on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Answer:! 6. Hanukkah is a celebration of the rededication of a Jewish temple that had been taken from the Jews and was being used to honor Zeus. Answer:! 7. The tradition of lighting a candle each night of Hanukkah is described in the New Testament of the Bible. Answer:! 8. Hanukkah is sometimes referred to as the “festival of darkest winter.” Answer:! 9. Richard Nixon was the first U.S. president to officially recognize Hanukkah. Answer:! 10. George W. Bush was the president who established the tradition of a White House Hanukkah party. Answer:!

©ActivityConnection.com – Hanukkah True or False (Questions Only) – Page !1 of !3 11. The four letters on the dreidel stand for the Hebrew phrase “light will conquer dark.” Answer:! 12. Gelt, or money, is a traditional Hanukkah gift. Answer:! 13. Giving gifts on every night of Hanukkah is an ancient tradition. Answer:! 14. No oil is eaten during Hanukkah in remembrance of how little oil the Jews had when they were reclaiming their temple. Answer:! 15. Blue and white are the colors of the Israeli flag. Answer:! 16. The candles in the Hanukkah menorah are allowed to burn for eight minutes each night of the holiday. Answer:! 17. You need 44 candles to keep a menorah lit for the eight nights of Hanukkah. Answer:! 18. Dreidels were worn around the neck as a symbol of Jewish pride before they were used for gaming. Answer:! 19. Hanukkah begins on a day in November or December at sunrise. Answer:! 20. The Maccabees, the group credited with leading the charge to take back the Jewish temple, which Hanukkah celebrates, were named for the Maccabee Valley outside of Jerusalem. Answer:! 21. Olive oil is the oil most often associated with Hanukkah. Answer:!

©ActivityConnection.com – Hanukkah True or False (Questions Only) – Page !2 of !3 22. Menorahs must be made from a precious metal. Answer:! 23. The miracle of Hanukkah is that no lives were lost when the Jews reclaimed their temple. Answer:! 24. Not all Jewish people supported taking military action to reclaim their temple. Answer:! 25. Menorahs are usually placed in windows where they can be seen easily from inside or outside. Answer:!

©ActivityConnection.com – Hanukkah True or False (Questions Only) – Page !3 of !3 Hanukkah True or False (Questions with Answers) 1. While Hanukkah is acceptable, Chanukah is the true spelling of this Jewish holiday. Answer: False. Hebrew is transliterated rather than translated. The Hebrew alphabet is so unique you cannot do letter-for-letter translations. Therefore, there are many interpretations of the correct English spelling of Hebrew words. There is not one correct spelling. Other spellings include Hanukah, Hannukah, and Chanukkah. 2. Hanukkah means “light” in English. Answer: False. “Dedication” is the closest English transliteration for the word Hanukkah. 3. Hanukkah is not considered one of the major Jewish religious holidays. Answer: True. Hanukkah is not considered one of Judaism’s high holidays, or important religious holidays. Yom Kippur is the holiest Jewish holiday, followed by Rosh Hashanah. 4. Currently, menorahs have holders for nine candles, but in ancient times, they held fewer candles. Answer: True. Ancient versions of menorahs have been excavated, but they have spaces for only four to seven lanterns or candles. Scholars are unsure about how and when the nine-part menorah was invented. 5. The first day of Hanukkah can fall on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Answer: True. The first day of Hanukkah changes yearly and sometimes coincides with Thanksgiving or Christmas. 6. Hanukkah is a celebration of the rededication of a Jewish temple that had been taken from the Jews and was being used to honor Zeus. Answer: True. The temple in the Hanukkah story was used to honor the god Zeus, who is not recognized in the Jewish tradition. 7. The tradition of lighting a candle each night of Hanukkah is described in the New Testament of the Bible. Answer: False. The Hanukkah story is included in only some editions of the Bible. It is always in the Old Testament.

©ActivityConnection.com – Hanukkah True or False (Questions with Answers) – Page !1 of !4 8. Hanukkah is sometimes referred to as the “festival of darkest winter.” Answer: False. Hanukkah is often called the “festival of lights” because of the lighting of the menorah. 9. Richard Nixon was the first U.S. president to officially recognize Hanukkah. Answer: False. In 1979, Jimmy Carter was the first U.S. president to officially recognize Hanukkah when he lit a public Hanukkah menorah and spoke in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. 10. George W. Bush was the president who established the tradition of a White House Hanukkah party. Answer: True. President George W. Bush held the first White House Hanukkah party in 2001. 11. The four letters on the dreidel stand for the Hebrew phrase “light will conquer dark.” Answer: False. The four letters stand for a Hebrew phrase that means roughly “a great miracle happened there.” 12. Gelt, or money, is a traditional Hanukkah gift. Answer: True. Gelt in the form of currency or chocolate coins is a traditional Hanukkah gift. 13. Giving gifts on every night of Hanukkah is an ancient tradition. Answer: False. Giving gifts every day of Hanukkah is a modern adaptation of Hanukkah. Many people think that Hanukkah’s proximity to Christmas increased gift giving on Hanukkah. 14. No oil is eaten during Hanukkah in remembrance of how little oil the Jews had when they were reclaiming their temple. Answer: False: Eating foods fried in oil like latkes (potato pancakes) and doughnuts (especially jelly doughnuts) is encouraged during Hanukkah. 15. Blue and white are the colors of the Israeli flag. Answer: True. The Israeli flag is blue and white. Some people theorize that this is why Hanukkah decorations are often blue and white, but no one is certain how the blue-and-white color scheme became associated with Hanukkah.

©ActivityConnection.com – Hanukkah True or False (Questions with Answers) – Page !2 of !4 16. The candles in the Hanukkah menorah are allowed to burn for eight minutes each night of the holiday. Answer: False. The candles lighted each night of Hanukkah stay lit until they go out or the candle is completely melted. 17. You need 44 candles to keep a menorah lit for the eight nights of Hanukkah. Answer: True. Every day the burned candles from the night before are replaced and an additional candle is burnt. The total number of candles needed is 44. 18. Dreidels were worn around the neck as a symbol of Jewish pride before they were used for gaming. Answer: False. Dreidels were used as decoys by Jews pretending to be playing a game when they were actually having a religious meeting. 19. Hanukkah begins on a day in November or December at sunrise. Answer: False. All Jewish holidays start at sundown, because the Jewish calendar considers sundown, not sunrise, the beginning of each day. 20. The Maccabees, the group credited with leading the charge to take back the Jewish temple, which Hanukkah celebrates, were named for the Maccabee Valley outside of Jerusalem. Answer: False. Maccabee is the surname of the Jewish family that instigated and organized the surge to reclaim the Jewish temple. 21. Olive oil is the oil most often associated with Hanukkah. Answer: True. Olive oil is the “official” Hanukkah oil. 22. Menorahs must be made from a precious metal. Answer: False. Menorahs can be made from almost anything. 23. The miracle of Hanukkah is that no lives were lost when the Jews reclaimed their temple. Answer: False. Reclaiming the temple was a military victory rather than a miracle, and there was bloodshed. The Hanukkah miracle is that a tiny amount of oil somehow lit the temple for eight nights.

©ActivityConnection.com – Hanukkah True or False (Questions with Answers) – Page !3 of !4 24. Not all Jewish people supported taking military action to reclaim their temple. Answer: True. Many Jews did not feel it was necessary to fight a battle to reclaim their temple. 25. Menorahs are usually placed in windows where they can be seen easily from inside or outside. Answer: True. Menorahs are meant to be proudly displayed for all to see.