Chanukah 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
12/1- Kings Park- Chamber of Commerce- Lighting of Christmas tree and menorah lighting ceremony
12/8- Syosset - Community Menorah Lighting - Join Rabbi Jay Weinstein from Congregation Simchat HaLev every day of Hanukkah at 4:00pm to light the Community Menorah in front of 50 Jackson Avenue
12/25 - Merrick - Grand Menorah Lighting, hot latkes, meet Dreidelman, live dj, doughnuts..
12/25 - Islip - Chabad of Islip - Community Chanukah Party
12/25- Commack- Chabad of Mid-Suffolk- Chanukah Family Bowling Night!
12/11- Islip & Sayville- Town Menorah Lighting
12/26- The Chai Center of Dix Hills - Grand Menorah Lighting
12/16- Smithtown - Chabad of Mid-Suffolk - Menorah Lighting + more
12/26- Plainview - Plainview Synagogue Chanukah Menorah Parade - car top menorah parade, gelt drop, maccabee photo op, crafts ....
12/29- 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...
12/10- Plainview - Chadad of Oyster Bay - Chanukah Fire & Magic - giant menorah lighting, holiday foods & pizza, festive music and- magician, mentalist & stunt artist
12/29- Islip- Chabad of Islip - Chanukah on Main Street - grand menorah lighting, the great big gelt drop...
12/30 - Huntington- Grand Menorah Lighting, juggling show, live concert with Toby Tobias ...
12/30 - Commack - Chabad of Mid-Suffolk - Gelt Drop
1/1 - Port Washington- Chabad of Port Washington - last day of Chanukah Extravaganza with music and more.
TBD - 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
