Kids were at the heart of what transformed Hanukkah into the American holiday it is today ― and they’ve absolutely risen to the occasion.
Hanukkah, which starts on December 24 this year, is a relatively minor festival in the Jewish calendar. But it’s become an important opportunity for young American Jews to engage with their religion. According to Dianne Ashton, author of Hanukkah in America: A History, the Hanukkah Americans know today ― with decorations, parties, and eight days of presents ― started taking shape in the late 19th century, as a way for synagogues to get children interested in Jewish life.
Around the same time Christmas started growing in popularity, synagogues started putting together Hanukkah festivals where leaders would tell the story behind the holiday, light a special menorah, and give sweets to the youngsters. New Jewish immigrants would buy presents for their kids during Hanukkah as a way to mark their success in becoming Americans.
Ashton told The Huffington Post that Hanukkah continued to increase in importance over the next few decades, as the children of these immigrants grew up surrounded by American culture.
“The drive to make Hanukkah into something that would satisfy Jewish children during the Christmas season heats up when Jewish kids are going to public schools where they are the minority – especially after World War Two when many Jews moved to suburbs,” Ashton wrote in an email.
In honor of how children helped shape the holiday, HuffPost Religion rounded up a few vintage photos of kids celebrating Hanukkah ― and doing a pretty good job of it, too.
Here are some kids who have got this Hanukkah thing under control.
How are children in your family are celebrating Hanukkah this year? Tweet photos of the celebration to #HuffPostHanukkah, and you may be featured on our site.
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