BY REGAN MCCROSKEY (’15)

There’s more to this holiday season than just Santa Claus and the unchanging nativity play your parents probably drag you to see every year. The neat thing about December is that there’s more than one globally celebrated holiday in it! And that’s Hanukkah.

Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) is a Jewish celebration that lasts for eight days. This is a holiday that commemorates the re-gaining of the Jews holy temple from the powerful Syrian-Greeks. Hanukkah is usually recognized by the famous Menorah, a candlestick with nine branches on it, to represent the eight days of the festival.

“Technically, it’s not a real holiday,” said senior Anya Cohen, who celebrates the Jewish tradition every year. “Hanukkah was created to basically give Jewish people a celebration in December because we aren’t Christian.”

One of the best parts about Hanukkah is the food, according to Cohen.

“Potato-latkes are my absolute favorite,” Cohen said. Potato-latkes are essentially potato pancakes made with oil, another Jewish tradition during Hanukkah.

Other foods include surfganiot (jelly-filled doughnuts), fried apple fritters and cookies.

Hanukkah is a very special tradition for families all over the world to remember their Jewish ancestors.