Hanukkah

Events
Recipes
Crafts & DIY
Traditions
Community Voices
Arts & Culture
Community News

Tradition

Quick and Easy Guide to Lighting the Menorah

By JewishBoston

Jew(ish)

Boston’s Top 10 Latkes

By Kara Baskin

Jew(ish)

A Dozen Delightful Sufganiyot Spots

By Kara Baskin

Tradition

Our Best Hanukkah Recipes: New Twists on Holiday Classics

By JewishBoston

Events

Top Pick

PJ Library Sensory Chanukah Party

Tomorrow, 10:00 am

Moon Lily Boutique, Norwood

$10

JCC Greater Boston

Sunday, December 22 10:00am - 11:30am

Moon Lily Boutique101 Central StNorwood, MA 02062

Requires registration $10.00

Pre-Chanukah Kids’ Party

Tomorrow, 1:00 pm

Shaloh House Jewish Day School, Brighton

Shaloh House Jewish Day School

Sunday, December 22 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Shaloh House Jewish Day School29 Chestnut Hill AveBrighton, MA 02135

Requires registration $5.00 - $15.00

NextGen Chanukah Party

Tomorrow, 7:00 pm

Boston Synagogue, Boston

Free

The Boston Synagogue

Sunday, December 22 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Boston Synagogue55 Martha RdBoston, MA 02114

Free

Hanukkah Happens XXXIV

Dec 24, 7:30 pm

Temple Emanuel, Newton

$25

Temple Emanuel of Newton

Tuesday, December 24 7:30pm - 9:00pm

Temple Emanuel385 Ward StNewton, MA 02459

Requires registration $25.00 - $30.00

Top Pick

MatzoBall Jewish Singles Holiday Party

Dec 24, 9:00 pm

The Grand Boston, Boston

$50

Tuesday, December 24 9:00pm - 2:00am

The Grand Boston58 Seaport BlvdBoston, MA 02210

Requires registration $50.00 - $75.00

Chanukah on Ice

Dec 25, 10:30 am

Ed Burns Arena Skating Rink, Arlington

$25

Center for Jewish Life Arlington-Belmont

Wednesday, December 25 10:30am - 12:30pm

Ed Burns Arena Skating Rink422 Summer StArlington, MA 02474

Requires registration $25.00

Annual First Night of Chanukah Celebration

Dec 25, 4:00 pm

Beth Menachem Chabad, Newton

$10

Beth Menachem Chabad

Wednesday, December 25 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Beth Menachem Chabad349 Dedham StNewton, MA 02459

Requires registration $10.00 - $180.00

Top Pick

Boston Common Menorah Lighting

Dec 25, 4:00 pm

Brewer Fountain, Boston

Free

Chabad of Downtown Boston, Back Bay, Beacon Hill & South End

Wednesday, December 25 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Brewer Fountain Freedom TrlBoston, MA 02108

Requires registration Free

Chanukah Movie Night at Capitol Theatre

Dec 25, 5:00 pm

Capitol Theatre, Arlington

$20

Center for Jewish Life Arlington-Belmont

Wednesday, December 25 5:00pm - 8:00pm

Capitol Theatre204 Massachusetts AveArlington, MA 02474

Requires registration $20.00

Food & Recipes

12/16/2024 Top Pick

Boston’s Top 10 Latkes

By Kara BaskinFor JewishBoston

12/16/2024 Top Pick

A Dozen Delightful Sufganiyot Spots

By Kara BaskinFor JewishBoston

12/2/2024 Top Pick

The Hanukkah Cocktail Pop-Up Maccabee Bar Is Back

By Kara BaskinFor JewishBoston

11/20/2024 Top Pick

Aunt Lisl’s Butter Cookies

Bake and decorate these classic buttery cookies—a delicious treat that kids will love helping to create.

By Joan NathanFor JewishBoston

11/20/2024 Top Pick

Ice Cream Cupcake Edible Menorah

By Joan NathanFor JewishBoston

12/13/2023 Top Pick

At Mamaleh’s, Thousands of Latkes Are a Labor of Love

By Kara BaskinFor JewishBoston

Crafts & DIY

12/16/2024 Top Pick

Quick and Easy Guide to Lighting the Menorah

By JewishBoston

11/16/2021 Top Pick

Upcycled Crayon Candles

This bright idea turns something old into something new and wonderful.

By PJ Library

11/16/2021 Top Pick

Hanukkah Coloring Book

A coloring book complete with the Hanukkah prayers.

By Custom & Craft

11/12/2021 Top Pick

Hanukkah Matching Game for Kids

By JewishBoston

11/11/2020 Top Pick

Inclusive Holiday Cards

A new trio of interfaith cards for Hanukkah and Christmas.

By 18Doors

12/3/2018 Top Pick

Five Meaningful Hanukkah Activities for Kids

By Shaney Wacks

(Image by Miriam Anzovin, modified from bortonia/iStock)

11/30/2018 Top Pick

How To Clean Your Menorah

By JewishBoston

Traditions & Rituals

12/16/2024 Top Pick

The Flaming Tea Ceremony: A Hanukkah Tradition Rekindled

By Judy Bolton-FasmanFor JewishBoston

12/16/2024 Top Pick

Quick and Easy Guide to Lighting the Menorah

By JewishBoston

12/12/2024 Top Pick

What To Know About Hanukkah’s “5th Night” Philanthropy Movement

By Kara BaskinFor JewishBoston

12/14/2022 Top Pick

When Hanukkah Was About Politics and Zionism, Not Gifts

Brandeis University professor Ellen Kellman talks about how the holiday was commemorated at America’s secular Yiddish schools.

By Lawrence GoodmanFor Brandeis University

12/6/2021 Top Pick

10 Parents on How Their Family Celebrates Hanukkah

CJP president Rabbi Marc Baker discusses his family’s extensive, round-robin dreidel tournament.

By Kelly KamenetzkyFor Verywell Family

11/29/2021 Top Pick

Christmas Trees in Jewish Homes: A Brief History

By Julian CardilloFor Brandeis University

11/18/2021 Top Pick

A OneTable Guide to Holiday Joy at the Shabbat Dinner Table

Make room for modernity and miracles as you tell the tale of Hanukkah at the Shabbat table.

By OneTable

Voices From Our Community

12/20/2024 Top Pick

Creating Light, Sharing in Miracles

By Rabbi Marc BakerFor Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP)

12/18/2024 Top Pick

Welcoming the Light in This Season of Darkness

In 2024, Hanukkah and Christmas share a rare and meaningful overlap, both beginning on Dec. 25.

By Judy Bolton-FasmanFor WBUR

12/9/2024

Hanukkah and Christmas: Themes of Miracles and Light

This year Christmas falls on the first night of Hanukkah, an opportunity for interfaith family and friends to celebrate the two traditions together.

By Ed Gaskin

12/15/2023 Top Pick

Resistance and Renewal

By welcoming Israeli children who came to Boston to escape the war, our Jewish day schools are bringing learning and love to those who need it most.

By Rabbi Marc BakerFor Jewish Journal

11/20/2023 Top Pick

10 Years Ago, American Jews Celebrated Thanksgivukkah

It’s been 10 years since Thanksgivukkah—the rare convergence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah—revolutionized the Jewish-American holiday experience.

By Yael BuechlerFor Jewish Telegraphic Agency

12/20/2022 Top Pick

December Comparisons: Creating a New Narrative

By Ruth Kaplan

12/16/2022 Top Pick

A 3-Year-Old’s Answer to Christmas Envy

By Susan Axe-Bronk

12/16/2022

“The Dreidel Song,” Extended Version

“The Dreidel Song” is way too short. This won’t take eight nights to sing, but it might be a little more fun.

By Ann Green

12/16/2022 Top Pick

Hanukkah and the Light of Our Community

Hanukkah is a story of Jewish courage and resilience, the need to fight back against those who hate us, our tradition, and our ways of life.

By Rabbi Marc BakerFor Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP)

Arts & Culture

12/17/2024 Top Pick

A Beloved Hanukkah Album Gets Its Moment to Shine

The prominent Yiddish singer Moishe Oysher recorded it in the 1950s.

By Noah SchafferFor The Boston Globe

12/12/2024 Top Pick

Music for All Eight Nights

A song for each night of Hanukkah.

By Laura Conrad MandelFor Jewish Arts Collaborative

12/9/2024 Top Pick

Illuminating Hanukkah Through Music

An evening of community joy at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

By Laura Conrad MandelFor Jewish Arts Collaborative

12/14/2023 Top Pick

Artist Joshua Meyer Finds Light in Hanukkah-Themed Work

Cambridge artist and CJP grantee Joshua Meyer’s “Eight Approaches" is an intriguing abstract work currently on display at the Worcester Art Museum.

By Richard DuckettFor Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Boston, MA - December 5: Concluding a ceremony in Copley Square in Boston, Boston City Councilor Kenzie Bok lit a giant menorah on the last day of Hanukkah on December 5, 2021. Two lifts carried participants, including Governor Charlie Baker, up for the lighting. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

12/9/2023 Top Pick

All of the Lights: Ways To Celebrate Hanukkah in Boston This Season

We’ve got things to eat and drink, events around Boston and even some light reading to help you mark the holiday, no matter how you’re celebrating.

By Hanna AliFor WBUR

11/21/2023 Top Pick

Preview the MFA’s New Gallery Devoted to Judaica

By Kara BaskinFor JewishBoston

12/9/2022 Top Pick

The Festival of Lights Returns to the MFA

By Judy Bolton-FasmanFor JewishBoston

12/8/2022 Top Pick

This Prolific South Shore Kids’ Author Is Also a Rabbi

By Kara BaskinFor JewishBoston

Community News

12/18/2024 Top Pick

Hanukkah’s Arrival on Christmas Renews ‘Chrismukkah’

How interfaith families celebrate, blend and balance holiday traditions.

By Jacob GurvisFor Jewish Telegraphic Agency

12/8/2023 Top Pick

At Menorah Lighting, Healey Invokes ‘Love and Support’

Denouncing the scourge of hate fueled by the Israel-Hamas War, Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu stood in solidarity with the Jewish community for Hanukkah.

By Alison KuznitzFor Gloucester Daily Times

12/7/2023 Top Pick

Boston-Area Jews Celebrate Hanukkah Amid Strife Abroad

Hanukkah comes at a fraught time this year.

By Simón RiosFor WBUR

12/7/2023 Top Pick

Boston’s Jewish Residents Banish the Darkness of War

“We celebrate the faith and the strength of the Jewish community, especially in this moment, especially in this time,” said Gov. Maura Healey.

By John L. MicekFor MassLive

12/7/2023 Top Pick

Jewish Communities in Mass. Light Menorahs To Send a Message of Hope on First Night of Hanukkah

From Boston to Brookline, and all over Massachusetts, the message on Hanukkah is that the Jewish community will not be afraid to show pride in its identity.

By Tammy MutasaFor WBZ News

12/22/2022 Top Pick

Keeping Hanukkah Bright Despite Increased Antisemitism

Amid rising incidents of antisemitism in Massachusetts and the entire U.S., the Boston Jewish community is continuing to celebrate Hanukkah proudly.

By Madeleine AitkenFor Boston.com

12/19/2022 Top Pick

Governor-Elect Healey Celebrates First Night of Hanukkah

Community members and governor-elect Maura Healey joined the Chabad of Downtown Boston on Sunday for the 39th annual Hanukkah menorah lighting.

By Madison MercadoFor The Boston Globe

12/19/2022 Top Pick

Hanukkah Marked With Boston Common Menorah Lighting

By 7 News WHDH

12/19/2022 Top Pick

Healey Denounces “Disturbing” Rise in Antisemitism

At a Hanukkah ceremony, the Massachusetts governor-elect condemned a spike in antisemitism, bigotry and hatred.

By Alison KuznitzFor MassLive

12/16/2022 Top Pick

Keeping the Miracle of Hanukkah Glowing Despite Hate

Several community organizations prove Hanukkah is about bringing a glow into the darkness.

By Linda GreensteinFor The Boston Globe

Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2024 begins the evening of Wednesday, December 25, and continues for eight days, ending Thursday, January 2. Find recipes, how-to guides for lighting and cleaning a menorah, local events and more.