Chanukah Games

The Dreidel Game

The dreidel game is played traditionally during Chanukah and is a favorite among Jewish children in Israel and around the world

To play this game one dreidel is used for two or more players. Each player begins with some coins, nuts,sweets or other tokens. Every person then contributes one token to the center.

The first player spins the dreidel following the rule associated with the Hebrew letter which shows on top when the dreidel stops spinning. The second player then takes a turn, and so on. When all the tokens are gone from the center the person with the most tokens wins.

The rules associated with each letter are as follows:
Hey - the spinner takes half the tokens in the center
Shin - the spinner adds a token to the center (sometimes two tokens are added rather than one)
Nun - the spinner does nothing and play passes to the next person
Gimel - the spinner takes all the tokens from the center winning the game

Chanukah is a special time For Children

Chanukah, also known as the "Festival of Lights", is an eight day holiday starting on the 25th night of the Jewish month of Kislev. Chanukah means "Dedication, goes back almost 2,400 years. Chanukah celebrates one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history.

The story of Chanukah

Over two thousand years ago when Judea was ruled by Antiochus, a Syrian king, attempted to assimilate the Jews into Greek culture by commanding them to worship Greek gods while oppressing Jewish culture and religion. A statue of Antiochus was erected in the Jewish temple and the Jews were ordered to bow down before him.

Menorah with Toys, Candy, and Gifts in Background

details
Shaffer-Smith
64 x 48 inches

Photographic Print

$149.99

The Jews refused because the Ten Commandments, given to the Jewish people by God, forbid the worship of statues and idols. A small group of Jews called Maccabees, rebelled, risking their lives to prevent the desecration of their Temple. The Maccabees won, but the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The Jews repaired the Temple and rededicated it to God by rekindling the sacred Menorah of the temple. But only one small jar of sanctified oil was found, yet lamp stayed miraculously lit for eight days until the Jews could replenish the oil supply.

Like Christmas, Chanukah is a special time for children. Gifts and Chanukah money are exchanged. Some families give a small present on each of the eight nights of Chanukah

Hanukah Dreidel with Gelt

details

Sally Moskol
18 x 24 inches

Photographic Print

$39.99

Chanukah Games

Children and adults play with a spinning top called a dreidel. This cube-shaped dice has a Hebrew letter on each side. To begin the game, each player has 10-20 objects, often raisins or sweets. Each person puts one object in the middle. Then each person takes a turn at spinning the dreidel. The letter that the dreidel shows when it has finished spinning determines whether they win or lose the stake.

Sufganiyot or doughnuts
usually filled with fruit preserve/jam

details

Frances Gordon
12 x 16 inches

Photographic Print

$39.99

Chanukah Foods

Chanukah is a great time for eating delicious foods. Some dishes have special significance, such as latkes, a kind of potato fritter/ pancakes and donuts ( called Sufganiyot in israel ). This is because they are fried in oil and so Jewish people remember the miracle of the oil lasting eight days in the temple.

Kids Love Thanksgiving: The Jewish Harvest Festival

Sukkot

Jewish children in Israel and all over the world celebrate
Thanksgiving with the Jewish Harvest Festival called Sukkot.
In modern day Israel and around the world, Sukkot is a 7-day holiday,
with the first day celebrated as a full festival with special prayer services
and holiday meals. Sukkot is a Biblical pilgrimage festival that occurs in
autumn on the 15th day of the month of Tishri (late September to late October).
The holiday lasts 7 days. This year it took place from the sunset of October 13
- the sunset of October20/21 depending on your location in the world.

The Festival of Sukkot begins on the fifth day after Yom Kippur.
The holiday commemorates the forty-year period during which
the children of Israel were wandering in the desert.
Sukkot is also a harvest festival.

Sukkot traditions and customs have both historical and religious significance. This festival dates back to the period during which Hebrews wandered in the wilderness on route to Canaan (now Israel). During their pilgrimage, they lived in temporary booths. This open living space is called a sukkah. People also gathered in sukkot to worship and share meals. Thus, Sukkot is also called the Feast of Tabernacle. During harvest time, farmers lived in sukkot in open fields because it gave them more time for harvesting. During Succoth, farmers take this time to thank God for the crops. On each of the seven days of Sukkot, the Torah requires the Jew to take Four Species of plants and to grasp and shake them in a specific manner. These species are: the lulav (date palmfrond), hadass (bough of a myrtle tree), aravah (willow branch)— these three are actually and collectively referred to as the lulav—and the etrog (a citron, a lemon-like citrus fruit). The word Sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah, meaning booth or hut. During this holiday, Jews are instructed to build a temporary structure in which to eat their meals, entertain guests, relax, and even sleep. The sukkah is reminiscent of the type of huts in which the ancient Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt, and is intended to reflect God's benevolence in providing for all the Jews' needs in the desert. Ancient Sukkah Kids who love camping outdoors, have a lot of fun. The sukkah has at least three sides and a partially open roof covered with greenery such as olive branches. Three sides of the sukkah are covered with blue and gold fabric. Part of the fun of sukkot is decorating the sukkah with fruits, flowers and, in the United States, autumn vegetables like corn and squash. During Sukkot, a special ceremony is held each day to thank God for the harvest. Sukkot (Hebrew: סוכות or סֻכּוֹת, sukkōt ; "booths", also known as Succoth, Sukkos, Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles

Kid's Love Thanksgiving: Chinese Moon Festival

Chinese Mid- Autumn Harvest Festival

The Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most
celebrated Chinese holidays. It is held on the 15th day
of the 8th lunar month. Chinese families enjoy the
full moon which is a symbol of abundance,
harmony and luck. They celebrate the end of
the harvest season with a big feast.


Chinese Children make mooncakes

Unlike the
American Thanksgiving dinner, the Chinese
have mooncakes instead of grandma' apple pie.
Friends and relatives also send mooncakes to
each other as a way of giving thanks. Along with
the delicious mooncakes, the children enjoy lit lanterns,
puppet shows and lantern processions.



Panda celebrates the Moon festival with special mooncake

Moon Festival

Giclee Print

by Yin Chang Zhong item #: 12013472A

24" x 18"

24" x 18"

Our Price: $49.99 Usually ships same day

more customizing options

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The Giclee printing process delivers a fine stream of ink resulting in vivid,
pure color and exceptional detail that is suitable for museum or gallery display.
This art print is produced on a heavy 310 gsm, acid-free and watercolor textured paper.

Chinese legends say that the moon is at its brightest
and roundest on this day. Under this bright autumn moon,
friendships are made and renewed. For many years,
Chinese poets wrote about long lost lovers finding their
way to each other on this special night.
It is said to be the perfect night for a romantic rendezvous.

Moon Lantern at Chinese Lantern Festival (Yuen Sui),
Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Photographic Print - 18" x 24" by Dallas Stribley

Our Price: $49.99

No one can be sure of the origins of the Harvest Moon Festival
also called the Mid-Autumn Festival. The origins were romanticized
by the story of Chang Er, who was believed to have taken a pill
and became a fairy and flew to the moon to escape
from the pursuit of her husband. It was thought that
we could see Chang Er on the moon when it is at its brightest.
The exact date in the Western calendar changes from year
to year but it is approximately in September.

Girls Dressed in Traditional Clothing for Loi Krathong,
a Full Moon Festival, Thailand

Photographic Print - 32" x 24" by Joe Cummings

Our Price: $69.99

The August Moon Festival is often called the Women's Festival.
The moon symbolizes beauty and elegance. While Westerners
worship the sun (yang or male) for its power, people in the Far
East admire the moon. The moon is the 'yin' or
female principle and it is a trusted friend.

Dragon Procession at Harvest Moon Festival in Chinatown, San Francisco, California, USA

Photographic Print 24" x 18" by Roberto Gerometta

Our Price: $49.99

In fact, many ancient August Moon folktales
are about a moon maiden. On the 15th night
of the 8th lunar moon, little children on earth
can see a lady on the moon. On this magical
occasion, children who make wishes to the Lady
on the Moon will find their dreams come true.
The Moon Festival is celebrated all over Asia
like Malaysia, Thailand, Laos etc.

Books on the Moon Festival

Children Around the world Love Halloween

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Trick Or Treat
Vicky Brago-Mitchell
40 x 32 inches

Fine Art Print

Halloween, a popular Kid Holiday, is one of the world's oldest celebrations that is still celebrated in several countries around the globe. Though it is most popular with children from North America and Canada.
Halloween is the holiday when the most candy is given and is second only to Christmas. The tradition of "trick or treat", where child go from house to house collecting candy, make it top on the list of Kids favorite holidays.
The mere fact that it is a celebration of the dead has little meaning to children in the West. It is just a happy feel good celebration that is enjoyed by Kids all around the World.

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Grrr! Wild Creature
Sarah Bengry
10 x 12 inches

Fine Art Print

So, Happy Halloween! Always a treat. Never a trick.

Here are how some Kids around the world celebrate Halloween.

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Greetings from Halloween, Black Cat and Jack O' Lantern
17 x 11 inches

Fine Art Print

Austria

In Austria, some people will leave bread, water and a lighted lamp on the table before retiring on Halloween night. They once believed such items would welcome the dead souls back to earth on a night, believed to be brimming with strong cosmic energies.

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The Kitty Cat Meow
Kate Ward Thacker
16 x 20 inches

Giclee Print

Belgium

The custom in Belgium on Halloween night is to light candles in memory of dead relatives.The Belgians believe that it is unlucky for a black cat to cross once's path and for it to enter a home or travel on a ship

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Halloween Labrador
Tina Tinibaybeez
20 x 16 inches

Wall Poster

Canada

Modern Halloween celebrations in Canada began with the arrival of Scottish and Irish immigrants in the 1800s. Jack O'Lanterns are carved and the festivities include parties, trick-or-treating and the decorating of homes with pumpkins and corn stalks.

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The Black Cat
Larry Weingartner
10 x 8 inches

Wall Poster

China

In China, the Halloween festival is known as Teng Chieh. Food and water are placed in front of photographs of family members who have departed while bondires and lanterns are lit in order to light the paths of the spirits as they travel the earth on Haloween night.

Halloween, Children with Jack O'Lantern
14 x 11 inches

Pre-Matted

Czechoslovakia

In Czechoslovakia, chairs are placed by the fireside on Halloween night. There is one chair for each living family member and one for each family member's spirit.

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Jack-O-Lantern, Halloween...
Jamie Wild
18 x 24 inches

Photographic Print

England

At one time, English children made "punkies" out of large beetroots, upon which they carved a design of their choice. Then, they would carry their "punkies" through the streets while singing the "Punkie Night Song" as they knocked on doors and asked for money.

However, in recent years, the American "trick or treating" custom, together with the donning of costumes for going door-to-door, has become a relatively popular past time among English children at Halloween, although many of the adults (particularly the older generations) have little idea as to why they are being asked for sweets and are usually ill-prepared to accommodate their small and hopeful callers.

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Bartolo I
Kinna
12 x 12 inches

Fine Art Print

France

Unlike most nations of the world, Halloween is not celebrated by the French in order to honor the dead and departed ancestors. It is regarded as an "American" holiday in France and was virtually unknown in the country until around 1996.

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Halloween Cat Girl
Jamie Edwards
20 x 24 inches

Wall Poster

Germany

In Germany, the people put away their knives on Halloween night. The reason for this is because they do not want to risk harm befalling the returning spirits.

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Historic Reading Posters ...
14 x 22 inches

Wall Poster

Hong Kong

The Halloween celebration in Hong Kong is known as "Yue Lan" (Festival of the Hungry Ghosts) and is a time when it is believed that spirits roam the world for twenty-four hours. Some people burn pictures of fruit or money at this time, believing these images would reach the spirit world and bring comfort to the ghosts.

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Pumpkin in full moon Many...
Allyson Thomas
16 x 20 inches

Reprint Poster

Ireland

In Ireland, believed to be the birthplace of Halloween, the tradition is still celebrated as much as it is in the United States. In rural areas, bonfires are lit as they were in the days of the Celts and children dress up in costumes to spend the evening "trick-or-treating" in their neighborhoods. After the visiting, most people attend parties with neighbors and friends. At these parties, many games are played, including "snap-apple," in which an apple on a string is tied to a door frame or tree, and players attempt to take a bite out of the suspended apple. In addition to bobbing for apples, parents often arrange treasure hunts with sweets or pastries as the "treasure." The Irish also play a card game where cards are laid face-down on a table with sweets or coins beneath them. When a child selects a card, he or she receives whatever prize might be found there. A traditional food is eaten on Halloween called "barnbrack." This is a type of fruitcake which can be baked at home or store-bought. A muslin-wrapped treat is baked inside the cake which, so it is said, can foretell the future of the one who finds it. If the prize is a ring, then that person will soon be wed and a piece of straw means a prosperous year is forthcoming. Children are also known to play tricks upon their neighbors on Halloween night. One of which is known as "knock-a-dolly," where children knock on the doors of their neighbors but then run away before the door is opened.

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A Cheerful Pair of Jack-O...
Stephen St. John
24 x 18 inches

Photographic Print

Japan

The Japanese celebrate the "Obon Festival" (also known as "Matsuri" or "Urabon") which is similar to Halloween festivities in that it is dedicated to the spirits of ancestors. Special foods are prepared and bright red lanterns are hung everywhere. Candles are lit and placed into lanterns which are then set afloat on rivers and seas. During the "Obon Festival," a fire is lit every night in order to show the ancestors where their families might be found. "Obon" is one of the main occasions during the Japanese year when the dead are believed to return to their birthplaces. Memorial stones are cleaned and community dances performed. The "Obon Festival" takes place during July or August.

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The Cat
Rabi Khan
30 x 24 inches

Giclee Print

Korea

In Korea, the festival similar to Halloween is known as "Chusok." It is at this time that families thank their ancestors for the fruits of their labor. The family pays respect to these ancestors by visiting their tombs and making offerings of rice and fruits. The "Chusok" festival takes place in the month of August.

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Hallowe'en Trick or Treat...
Jamie Edwards
20 x 24 inches

Wall Poster

Mexico, Latin America And Spain

Among Spanish-speaking nations, Halloween is known as "El Dia de los Muertos." It is a joyous and happy holiday...a time to remember friends and family who have died. Officially commemorated on November 2 (All Souls' Day), the three-day celebration actually begins on the evening of October 31.

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Moonlight Sleeper
Nicole Marques
8 x 10 inches

Wall Poster

Sweden

In Sweden, Halloween is known as "Alla Helgons Dag" and is celebrated from October 31 until November 6. As with many other holidays, "Alla Helgons Dag" has an eve which is either celebrated or becomes a shortened working day. The Friday prior to All Saint's Day is a short day for universities while school-age children are given a day of vacation.

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Halloween Candy Corn
Mitch Diamond
24 x 18 inches

Photographic Print