It is also customary for children to receive Chanukah gelt or money for them to give to charity. Chanukah, Hannukah, Hannukkah, and Channukah. On Hanukkah, the Maccabean Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. LIST: Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Hanukkah. Thus, in the 18th century another spelling appeared—Hanukkah—even though the h doesn’t really sound like ḥet either. If you want to fit in with the crowd, opt for the Hanukkah spelling, now the most widely used of the choices. The difficulty begins with the very first letter of the word, which is the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet—ḥet, or chet. Chanukah, or Hanukkah? This accounts for why there are so many spelling variants. Transliteration. Robert Siegel talks with Rabbi Daniel Zemel of the Temple Micah in Washington D.C. about the holiday Chanukah -- or Hanukkah, depending on your taste. On each night of the holiday, a different branch of  a candelabrum called a menorah is illuminated. Redefine your inbox with Dictionary.com updates! But times are changing, even in the way the Jewish holiday of lights is celebrated and understood, and the Hanukkah spelling has gone mainstream. William J. Barber II Uses His Faith to Fight for the Poor, Here's Everything You Need to Know About Voting, Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know now on politics, health and more, © 2020 TIME USA, LLC. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Hanukkah 2011: Why the Holiday Is So Popular in America, Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Hanukkah. (MORE: Hanukkah 2011: Why the Holiday Is So Popular in America). The festival is also celebrated by indulging in latkes, or fried potato pancakes. Children play a game involving a type of wooden or plastic top called a dreidel. The main complication is the first letter, which corresponds to the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet: chet (or het, or heth, or cheth; there’s no right spelling there either). It refers to the same Jewish holiday. Why is this Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights, spelled in so many ways? But if you don’t fall into the Hebrew-scholar category, what should you do? “Confident” vs. “Confidant”: What’s The Difference? Many homiletical explanations have been given for the name: You can blame it on the ch sound being similar to the H sound, making Hanukkah a bit easier for English speakers to understand the pronunciation. With both correct, and about 14 others technically correct too, rest assured that you’ve got a pretty good shot at getting the spelling right. … Hanukkah? Or Hannukah? The answer comes down to transliteration. However, the Hebrew word for the holiday uses sounds that aren’t found in the Latin alphabet. So, when the Hebrew word was transliterated in the 17th century, the ḥet became ch (Chanukah). Or is it Chanukah? Amy Tikkanen is the general corrections manager, handling a wide range of topics that include Hollywood, politics, books, and anything related to the. In Hebrew, the word “Hanukkah” starts with the letter het or chet. By signing up you are agreeing to our, 'There Is Not Some Separation Between Jesus and Justice.' In Hebrew it is spelled חֲנֻכָּה. The name "Hanukkah" derives from the Hebrew verb "חנך‎", meaning "to dedicate". The Jewish Festival of Lights is an eight-day celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. Sometimes getting the proper spelling of a Hebrew word transliterated into English gets tricky, especially when far more than a trio of options prove technically correct. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most important Jewish holidays and is celebrated by Jews worldwide. The right way to spell Hanukkah. No matter how you spell it, Hanukkah lasts for eight days. What Do The Hebrew Letters On The Dreidel Mean? Just how did Hanukkah‘s spelling become so popular and oust Chanukah atop the list? Why so many spellings? Whether you’re in tune with the latest spelling trend will be an entirely different story. The answer is that both are considered correct, though Hanukkah is the most widely used spelling, while Chanukah is more traditional. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Hebrew does not use the Latin alphabet, which is the standard script of many languages, including English. Hanukkah is the most widely used spelling choice, although TIME pointed out that Chanukah is a favorite of traditionalists and five years ago, … As little as about five years ago, the top spelling choice on the Internet was Chanukah. So, if you like to slightly buck the trend and go old school, Chanukah is your spelling. Scholars disagree about how to interpret the Hebrew word for Hanukkah. Enter your email for word fun in your inbox every day. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The answer comes down to transliteration. Updated: November 28, 2017 3:47 PM ET | Originally published: December 21, 2011 4:08 PM EST, Here's Everything New on Netflix in November 2020—And What's Leaving, This Map Shows How America Voted in Every Election Since 1824, You can unsubscribe at any time. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The answer is that both are considered correct, though Hanukkah is the most widely used spelling, while Chanukah is more traditional. But one common interpretation is that it means “dedication.”. Like so many questions in Judaism, this one has no right answer. For many English speakers, the festival is also known for confusion over the spelling of its name: Is it Hanukkah or Chanukah? Just how did Hanukkah‘s spelling become so popular and oust Chanukah atop the list? Thus, when used in an English context, the sounds of the different Hebrew characters must be converted, or transliterated, into Latin letters.

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