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Hanukkah in Alicante

diciembre 7, 2017 By news Comments Off
On December 8, the Jewish community celebrates its traditional Hanukkah. A millenary feast in which families gather to share traditions, games, songs and gastronomy. In the Hanukkah, the Jews light a candle every night in a nine-branched candelabrum to commemorate the victory of the Maccabees over the Hellenes and their subsequent independence. It is the Festival of Lights or Luminaries, one of the most beautiful and rooted Jewish traditions in the world. And, since our city hosts an important Jewish community, they also celebrate Hanukkah in Alicante.

This year, the Israeli community of Alicante, which has its headquarters in the city of Benidorm, has prepared a series of events to celebrate the Hanukkah in Alicante and honor its history. On December 15, there will be a small lighting ceremony for the candles, and they will also enjoy the typical dishes of this time of year.

During the eight days of Hanukkah, it is tradition for families to gather, exchange gifts and sing traditional Jewish hymns. Each night, a new candle is lit with the so-called “shamash”, the central candle, which lights all the others. This ignition of the luminaries commemorates the miracle of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, whose chandelier remained lit for eight consecutive days with oil that should last only one day.

In these days of celebration, many Jewish traditions such as the dreidel -a four-sided top with Hebrew letters on each side, with which the children play every night-, come together. And gastronomy also has a fundamental role in the celebration of Hanukkah. To honor the oil with which the temple chandelier was lit, many typical recipes are cooked with oil. For example, latkes, fried potato cakes eaten as an accompaniment to the main course, especially with the meat. The sufganiot is one of the most traditional dishes of Hanukkah, very similar to typical Spanish ‘buñuelos’, and you can fill it with any ingredient you like. Other typical sweets are the rugelach and the kugel, which can be sweet or salty.

From Be Alicante we invite you to discover the Hanukkah celebrations in Alicante and to share with us its traditions and history. Book your accommodation and enjoy the capital of Costa Blanca in our Bed & Breakfast and exclusive apartments.

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