Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of which building?

The royal palace of King Solomon

What is Hanukkah gelt?

Money or chocolate coins given to children

A special prayer book read each night

Hanukkah Quiz: The Festival of Lights Explained

This Hanukkah quiz explores the Jewish Festival of Lights, from the Maccabees and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem to the menorah and its shamash candle, the dreidel, latkes and sufganiyot, Hanukkah gelt and the Hebrew month of Kislev. Ten questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

History
Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of which building?
History
Which group led the revolt against the Seleucid king Antiochus IV?
Miracle
According to tradition, what lasted for eight days instead of one?
Menorah
What is the name of the helper candle used to light the others on a Hanukkah menorah?
Games
What is the spinning top played with during Hanukkah called?
Food
Which fried potato pancakes are a favorite Hanukkah food?
Food
What are sufganiyot, popular in Israel at Hanukkah?
Calendar
Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of which Hebrew month?
Gifts
What is Hanukkah gelt?
Customs
Where is the menorah traditionally placed after lighting?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of which building?
Answer: The Second Temple in Jerusalem
After the Maccabees retook Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, they cleansed and rededicated the Temple. Hanukkah means dedication in Hebrew.
Q2: Which group led the revolt against the Seleucid king Antiochus IV?
Answer: The Maccabees
Judah Maccabee and his brothers led the uprising. Their victory is told in the Books of the Maccabees.
Q3: According to tradition, what lasted for eight days instead of one?
Answer: Oil for the Temple lamp
The story of the oil, told in the Talmud, explains why Hanukkah lasts eight days and why lights are central to it.
Q4: What is the name of the helper candle used to light the others on a Hanukkah menorah?
Answer: The shamash
A Hanukkah menorah, also called a hanukkiah, holds nine candles: eight for the nights and the shamash, usually set higher or apart.
Q5: What is the spinning top played with during Hanukkah called?
Answer: A dreidel
Its four sides show Hebrew letters standing for A great miracle happened there. In Israel, the last letter changes to mean here.
Q6: Which fried potato pancakes are a favorite Hanukkah food?
Answer: Latkes
Foods fried in oil recall the miracle of the oil. Latkes are often served with applesauce or sour cream.
Q7: What are sufganiyot, popular in Israel at Hanukkah?
Answer: Jelly-filled doughnuts
Bakeries in Israel sell millions of sufganiyot during the holiday, with fillings from jam to chocolate.
Q8: Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of which Hebrew month?
Answer: Kislev
Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, Hanukkah falls on different dates each year. In 2026, it begins at sundown on December 4.
Q9: What is Hanukkah gelt?
Answer: Money or chocolate coins given to children
Gelt means money in Yiddish. Chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil became popular in the 20th century and are used in dreidel games.
Q10: Where is the menorah traditionally placed after lighting?
Answer: In a window or doorway
Placing it where it can be seen from outside publicizes the miracle. Large public menorahs are now lit in many cities.

Hanukkah Quiz – The Festival of Lights

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that lasts eight days and nights, usually in December. Known as the Festival of Lights, it is celebrated by lighting candles on a special menorah, eating fried foods, playing games and spending time with family. Although it is not one of the most important religious holidays in Judaism, it has become one of the best known and most widely celebrated.

The holiday remembers events in the 2nd century BC. The Seleucid king Antiochus IV banned Jewish practices and placed pagan worship in the Temple in Jerusalem. A small group led by Judah Maccabee and his brothers revolted and, against the odds, recaptured the city. They then cleaned and rededicated the Temple, which is what the word Hanukkah means.

According to the Talmud, the Maccabees found only enough pure oil to light the Temple lamp for one day, but it burned for eight. That is why Hanukkah lasts eight nights. Each evening, one more candle is lit on the hanukkiah, using a helper candle called the shamash, until all eight glow on the final night.

Hanukkah traditions include eating latkes and sufganiyot, foods fried in oil, spinning the dreidel and giving gelt, coins or chocolate money. Families often place menorahs in windows to share the light with others, and many cities hold public lightings. Hanukkah begins on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev; in 2026 it starts at sundown on December 4.

This quiz covers the history, customs and foods of Hanukkah.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is ideal for students, families and anyone curious about the Festival of Lights.

What events Hanukkah remembers
Who the Maccabees were
Why the holiday lasts eight days
How the menorah and shamash are used
Traditional games and foods
How Hanukkah's dates are set

Quick Facts About Hanukkah

Hanukkah is sometimes spelled Chanukah.
Candles are added from right to left but lit from left to right.
The candles should burn for at least half an hour after nightfall.
In 2013, Hanukkah overlapped with American Thanksgiving, nicknamed Thanksgivukkah.
Many families give small gifts on each night of the holiday.
The National Menorah has been lit near the White House since 1979.