Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights.
It happens every year in November or December and lasts for eight days.
It celebrates a miracle that happened in Jerusalem a long time ago.
Find out how Sophia's family celebrate Hanukkah in this video from My First Festivals.
Narrator: This is Sophia, and she is seven years old.
That's her sister, Leati, her Mum and Dad, and they are making candles.
They roll the wax around the wick to make the candle.
Today, Sophia will do something new for the first time, but what will it be?
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Sophia, do you know why we鈥檙e making candles?
Sophia: Yes. Because鈥 because it is Hanukkah.
Narrator: Hanukkah is a Jewish festival which celebrates the rededication of a Jewish temple many years ago.
An important candle, which only had enough oil to burn for one day, lasted for eight full days.
This is why on Hanukkah, Jewish people burn a special candle each night.
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: So, what are we going to make Sophia?
Sophia: We鈥檙e going to make some latkes.
Narrator: Sophia helps Mum get the ingredients. Then she adds the potato and gives it a good mix.
Sophia stands back and watches Mum cook. And once Dad smells the delicious food, he comes to join them.
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Is it tasty?
Sophia: They taste so yum.
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Do they?
Sophia鈥檚 Dad: That is really nice.
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Mmmm.
Narrator: Sophia and her family have come to the synagogue to celebrate Hanukkah. All Sophia鈥檚 friends are here.
[CHILDREN SINGING]
Rabbi: So now, without further ado, we are going to light the candles.
Narrator: Sophia helps the rabbi light the candles.
Hanukkah lasts eight days and so there鈥檚 a new candle lit each day.
After a shared meal, they go home to play a special Hanukkah game called dreidels.
They colour the dreidel in and play a game where they spin the dreidel to win golden coins.
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Spin it! Woo! What鈥檚 it on? Hei.
Sophia: So, I get to have one, two, three, four, five.
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Very good. Because it鈥檚 Hanukkah, shall we have a party? And we鈥檒l decorate the house full of Hanukkah celebration things?
Sophia: Yeah!
Narrator: Sophia and Dad start by colouring in some decorations to put up. Those dreidels look good!
Sophia: This is 鈥榮h鈥 for shin.
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Yeah.
Sophia: Hei for 鈥榟鈥.
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Yeah.
Sophia: Gimel for 鈥榞鈥.
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Yeah. And what鈥檚 that top one for?
Sophia: Nun for 鈥榥鈥.
Narrator: Everyone arrives for the party.
Sophia and Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Happy Hanukkah!
Narrator: It鈥檚 getting dark and it鈥檚 time to light the hanukkiah.
Sophia鈥檚 Dad: Right Sophia, are you ready to light the candles? Shall we do it?
Sophia鈥檚 Mum: Let鈥檚 do it, everyone.
Narrator: Dad helps Sophia light the candle. You shouldn鈥檛 be around candles without an adult. Once lit, they all say a prayer.
[SOPHIA AND DAD SAYING A JEWISH PRAYER]
Narrator: To finish off the party, the family sings a song about Hanukkah.
[EVERYBODY SINGING]
Sophia and her family: Yay!
Narrator: Today, Sophia celebrated Hanukkah. There is a first time for everything.
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