One of the most beautiful things about this time of year is the way families celebrate different holidays and traditions, and honor different religions. The variety is what makes life so beautiful.
This week Hanukkah, the Jewish eight-day, “festival of lights”, begins at sundown on Thursday, December 10 and continues through Friday, December 18. Hanukkah is celebrated nightly with a menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. Read on to find out a little more about this Jewish holiday.
The Festival of Lights
At the heart of this festival is the nightly menorah lighting. According to the website chabad.org, the menorah holds nine flames, one which is used to kindle the other eight lights. On the first night of the celebration, just one flame is lit. On the second night, an additional flame is lit. By the eighth night of Hanukkah, all eight flames are lit. Before the menorah is lit, special blessings are recited. Traditional songs are sung afterward.
What a menu!
The Hanukkah menu contains foods like potato pancakes, jam-filled donuts covered in powdered sugar, fried apple fritters and cheese-filled donuts. The origins of these food traditions go back to the years that the holiday was first celebrated and are meant to be reminders of certain miracles associated with Hanukkah.
Although Ashley’s Pastries doesn’t serve up latkes (potato pancakes), we can help if you are planning a Hanukkah celebration.
We bake fresh challah, and offer an assortment of cakes and cookies for your celebration.
We are happy to prepare something special for you – just give us a call at 937-293-1719 to place your order.
Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel
Another Hanukkah tradition is playing the dreidel game. It was created as a way for the Jewish people to study the Torah and learn Hebrew in secret after King Antiochus IV had outlawed all Jewish religious worship in 175 BCE. Today, it’s a way for friends and family to have fun together while celebrating a rich history. 
A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top. Each side contains a different Hebrew letter.Each player spins the dreidel once during their turn. Depending on which side is up when it stops spinning, the player whose turn it was can win or lose game pieces from the pot.
We love being a part of your holiday traditions and celebrating life deliciously with you. We hope you enjoy the magic of the season and from all of your friends here at Ashley’s, we wish you a Happy Hanukkah!