How to celebrate Chanukah in London

"The eight-consecutive-night event focuses on celebrating small, seemingly insignificant, victories and everyday miracles. Represented by several symbolic items, including a nine-branched hanukkiah (or menorah, the more generic term which refers to a candelabrum of any kind) with eight candles representing each night of celebration, plus one 'helper candle' or shamash that lights them all, each individual light can illuminate the darkness, especially when brought together as a collective."

"Over the years, I've collected numerous traditions around this festival, including a staple making of fried latkes from a variety of ingredients, from potato to carrot, served hot alongside dips of sour cream and apple sauce that have followed me from childhood into the present. As many multi-cultural families do, our Chanukah celebrations have changed over the years as my non-Jewish husband and I have navigated the blending of our holidays, foods, traditions and celebrations, making sure there was room for all without hierarchy."

"The oil represents the oil found that lasted for eight nights rather than just one or two, as part of the rededication of the desecrated Second Temple in Jerusalem circa 168 BCE. Each year, the smell of oil and deep-fried potatoes clings to the walls of our home, hair and clothing for days afterwards, but it always feels worth the effort, no matter how long it lingers."

Chanukah begins at sundown and spans eight consecutive nights that celebrate small, everyday miracles. A nine-branched hanukkiah plus a shamash symbolize each night and a helper light that ignites the others, showing how individual lights brighten darkness collectively. Traditions include frying latkes from potatoes or carrots and serving them with sour cream and apple sauce, and inviting friends to share foods fried in oil. Multicultural households blend Jewish and non-Jewish holidays, often reserving traditional gift-giving for Jewish grandparents while emphasizing food and rituals. The oil commemorates a miracle linked to the rededication of the Second Temple circa 168 BCE.

Read at CN Traveller