Hanukkah Celebrations & Eats on Long Island
Celebrate the Festival of the Lights with menorah lightings and festive events including a menorah parade. Scroll below for top rated latke's!
Things to know about Hanukkah:
- Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusualem. The Maccabees built a new menorah. At first they worried that they would not be able to light their new menorah, but they searched and searched, until at last they found one tiny jar of oil – enough to light the menorah for just one evening. The Maccabees knew that it would be at least eight days before they could get more oil, but they lit the menorah anyway. To their surprise, this little jar of oil burned for eight days- hence the Festival of Lights!
- Candles are lit each nite to celebrate the miracle of oil lasting for eight nights
- The miracle of oil lasting eight days is always celebrated in traditional food that are eaten such as latkes and jelly donuts- scroll for Top Rated Latkes
- Lacking exact English equivalents to the Hebrew sounds led to the many spelling variations we see today: Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hanukah, Hannukah, Chanukkah. Did you say that five different ways? In English, the different spellings don’t affect the pronunciation. So when writing Happy Hanukkah, have no fear, pick your favorite.
Menorah Lightings & Special Events
December- Kings Park- Chamber of Commerce- Lighting of Christmas tree and menorah lighting ceremony
12/14- Syosset - Holiday Lighting Spectacular- 50 Jackson Avenue
12/14- Merrick - Grand Menorah Car Parade & Menorah Lighting, hot latkes, doughnuts and special Chanuka Show starring the students of the Alan & Tatyana Forman JELC & Chabad Hebrew School
12/14 - Commack- Chabad of Mid-Suffolk- Chanukah Wonderland Family Fun Day
12/14- Islip & Sayville- Town Menorah Lighting
12/14- The Chai Center of Dix Hills - Grand Menorah Lighting
12/21- Long Beach - Chanukah
12/14- Plainview - Plainview Synagogue Chanukah Menorah Parade - car top menorah parade, gelt drop, fire juggling, donuts and crafts
12/14 - Port Washington- Chabad of Port Washington - Chanukah Drive-In at Bar Beach Park- fireworks & concert
12/15 - Huntington- Grand Menorah Lighting - festive balloons, an ice sculpture Menorah Show, live concert with Toby Tobias ...
12/18- The Chai Center of Dix Hills - Men's Night Out - Lights & Beer Chanukah Party
12/20- Long Beach - Fire & Soul - Join Chabad Young Professionals for Fire & Soul, a powerful evening beginning with Havdalah and flowing straight into a beautiful Chanukah Menorah Lighting.
12/21 - Commack - Chabad of Mid-Suffolk - Adult Chanukah Social
12/21- Long Beach - Chanukah on Ice - City Menorah Lighting with various organizations- Lighting of LI's largest menorah, glow in the dark parachuting dreidels, great chocolate gelt drop...
12/21- Islip- Chabad of Islip - Chanukah on Main Street - grand menorah lighting, the great big gelt drop...
12/21- Patchogue- Annual Menorah Lighting
Catering for Hanukkah at Home
Treats
Top Rated Latke's!
Bonus - Irving's World Famous Pastrami - serves up sandwiches in deep fried knishes
