Chanukah is a holiday with 8 different lights and many traditions. Explore how different Jewish communities around the world celebrate the holiday.
Chanukah is observed with joy and celebration in Jewish communities around the world. Like the Hannukiya, there are many similarities that join these celebrations but also some elements that add unique light to the holiday.
1) In Alsace, a region of France, double decker Chanukah menorahs were common with space for 16 lights. The two levels, each with spots for 8 lights, allowed fathers and sons to join together as they each lit their own lights in one single Hannukiya.
2) There is a custom of placing your Hannukiya in a place where people will be able to view the lights burning and appreciate the miracle of the holiday. In some Jerusalem neighborhoods, there are spaces cut into the sides of buildings so people can display them outside. Historically in countries like Morroco and Algeria, and even some communities in India, it was customary to hang a Hannukiya on a hook on a wall near the doorway on the side of the door across from the mezuzah.
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