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| Traditions of Hanukkah
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Throughout the Hanukkah dishes, the most popular
themes are the use of oil. The oil reminds us of the oil which burned eight
days instead of one. Latkes are potato pancakes made from grated potatoes mixed
with eggs, onions, and flour, then fried in vegetable oil. The texture is
crispy on the outside and tender within. They're served hot and often dipped in
apple sauce or sour cream. The Maccabbee soliders ate latkes made from cheese,
vegetables, or fruits which were brought to them on the battlefields. However,
they didn't eat potato latkes. Until the 16th century potatoes were not
available.
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The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter
inscribed on each side. In America the letters stand for "A Great Miracle
Happened There". In Israel the letters mean "A Miracle Happened Here". Each
player receives a given number of coins or candy pieces. Before spinning the
dreidel, each player puts a fixed proportion of the amount received into the
"kupah" or kitty. Each player in turn spins the dreidel. When the dreidel
falls, it will fall on one of the 4 letters.
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According to the letter, the following will happen:
Nun - no win / no lose Gimmel - take all (from the kitty) Heh - take half (from
the kitty) Peh or Shin - lose (what you deposited) The game continues until
players have run out of 'funds' or it is agreed to stop (anyone losing all
funds is out of the game). The dreidel game was popular during the rule of
Antiochus before the Maccabees' revolt, a time when soldiers executed any Jews
who were caught practicing their religion. When pious Jews gathered to study
the Torah, they had the top ready in case they heard soldiers approaching. If
the soldiers appeared, they would hide the holy scriptures and pretend to play
with the dreidel. In Israel the dreidel is called a sivivon. The yiddish word
"dreidel" is derived from the German word "drehen", or "turn".
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Sufganiyot
Sufganiyot are jelly doughnuts without the hole. They're dropped into hot oil
without being shaped and come out in odd, funny shapes, then covered in
powdered sugar and/or cinnamon. Sufganiyot are particularly popular in Israel,
where they are sold on stands in the streets over a month before hanukkah
begins.
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