Athenaeum Indy Christkindlmarkt | Celebrating Hanukkah

Celebrating the ideals of Judaism and commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, our special Hanukkah programming is steeped in traditional music, including a special performance by the Shawn Royer Quartet. Guests will also enjoy holiday activities designed especially for families with kids of all ages. Don’t miss the holiday treats, as we’re bringing in some special sweet treats.

History & Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish eight-day wintertime celebration, marked by the lighting of menorah candles, special prayers and storytelling, and plenty of delicious food!

Hanukkah (or Chanukah) is a Hebrew word meaning “dedication,” and it’s named so because the holiday marks the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. In the 2nd century BCE, Jerusalem and the surrounding area were ruled by an empire that enforced Greek-Syrian culture, language, and religion, and suppressed or destroyed the cultural traditions of others. The Temple in Jerusalem, long established as a center of Jewish worship, was forcibly taken and rededicated to the Greek god, Zeus.

The Maccabees, a group of Jewish soldiers and scholars, rebelled and fought to reclaim the Temple. When it came time to re-light the Temple’s Menorah (a candelabrum that should never go out) there was only enough fuel to keep it lit for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted eight days– long enough to make more oil and keep the Menorah shining brightly.

To celebrate the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem, and the miracle of its restored Menorah remaining lit, Jewish people around the world light Hanukkah menorahs, hanukkiyahs, in their own homes and places of worship.

Because the miracle of Hanukkah centers around oil, fried foods like potato pancakes, latkes,and jelly-filled doughnuts, sufganiyot, are popular– but Jewish people come from all different kinds of backgrounds, so the foods at one Hanukkah table may be very different from another! Other symbols of Hanukkah include dreidels (spinning tops marked with letters of the Hebrew alphabet) and gelt (chocolate coins).