Keep Calm and Eat Latkes

For those of you who are Jewish, Happy Hanukkah! For those of you who aren’t, what do you know about Hanukkah?

Well, I’m going to let you in on the history behind this beautiful holiday, otherwise known as the “Festival of Lights”.

Why light candles? Well, when the Jews saw the great temple of Jerusalem in shambles after the reign of Antiochus in 164 BC, they saw that there was only enough oil to light the candles of Hanukkah for one night. However, miraculously, the candles burned for eight days and nights. Which you have probably guessed is why the menorah (special candelabra) has 8 candles (and one master candle to light the others with).

Now that the history lesson is over, let’s get down to the best bit – irresistible fried foods, which are also to signify oil! If you have any Jewish friends, you might want to run over to their house and tuck into some delicious fried food. This is a tradition on Hanukkah. Have you ever heard of Latkes? Basically, they are potato pancakes that taste absolutely delicious. Hanukkah or no Hanukkah, you can always have a go at making Latkes. They are really easy to make. Just make sure to be cautious when frying. Hot oil can splatter everywhere if you are not careful.

Do you know what a dreidel is? It’s a 4-sided spinning toy with a Hebrew letter on each side. The game is really simple and you basically gamble the sweets and chocolates that you received for Hanukkah with friends to try and get more –I am not sure if I would be willing to gamble away my chocolate! If you are feeling up for a traditional Hanukkah game, “Spin the Dreidel” is for you. Take a look at the rules of the game and get spinning.

Happy Hanukkah guys and girls!

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