This year, American Jews are taking Hanukkah outside

December 9, 2020

Jewish tradition teaches that the story of the Hanukkah miracle of light over darkness should be publicized.

It’s the reason some Jews put a menorah (sometimes called a “hanukkiah”) in the window or by the door. Lighting the nine-branched candelabrum is the central ritual of the eight-day holiday, which begins Thursday (Dec. 10).

But for the most part, American Jews have kept the December holiday an indoor celebration among family and friends. Unlike the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur when Jews crowd synagogues en masse, Hanukkah has always been a home-centered celebration — typically enjoyed with lots of fried foods, like potato latkes and jelly doughnuts.

Source: This year, American Jews are taking Hanukkah outside - Religion News Service