Despite what so many people think, Hanukkah is not “Jewish Christmas.”
Many years, it doesn’t even fall at the same time as Christmas. Oh, sure, it’s usually within the same month. But it’s not uncommon for Hanukkah to be over days, or even weeks, before December 24.
In fact, there’s an old joke that you shouldn’t ask a Jewish person when Hanukkah is because we don’t even know the answer, and we’ll just have to Google it. There’s a lot of truth to that.
According to the Jewish calendar, Hanukkah starts on the 25th of Kislev. But that maps to different dates on the Gregorian calendar every year because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar (i.e., based on both the moon and the sun) and the Gregorian calendar is solar (i.e., based only on the sun).
The latest Hanukkah can begin on the Gregorian calendar is the evening of December 27 (with December 28 being the first full day). Some years, it starts as early as late November. (Remember Thanksgivukkah back in 2013?) Which means the concept of Chrismukkah is fun, but given the holidays don’t always overlap, it’s not exactly accurate those years.
(That said, they will overlap in 2027, when Christmas Eve will also be the first night of Hanukkah. And in 2024, Hanukkah began the night of December 25. This year, it begins the evening of Sunday, December 14, and ends at sundown on Monday, December 22.)
All jokes aside, when we celebrate Hanukkah, which means “dedication,” we’re celebrating, yet again, that someone wanted to wipe us out, but we survived. In this case, it was the Greeks, in the second century BCE, who wanted the Jews to renounce their faith and assimilate. A Jewish rebel group known as the Maccabees fought back against the Seleucid Greek empire and won, then reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it for Jewish worship. A miracle!
And then, another miracle occurred: When the Temple was rededicated, there was only enough ritually pure oil to light the menorah for one day, but it burned for eight, which was enough time for the Jews to make new oil. That’s why Hanukkah lasts for eight nights and why proudly and visibly lighting a menorah (and adding one candle each night, so the light gets brighter and brighter) is the central ritual. And why it’s customary to eat fried foods like latkes and sufganiyot to echo the oil miracle.
So, Hanukkah may not be the most important Jewish holiday, relatively speaking — it’s no Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur, or Passover, for example — but it’s not insignificant, either. It’s worthy on its own, and doesn’t need to be equated with Christmas. In other words, Target, Home Goods, and other stores don’t need to sell plush latkes or blue and white wreaths or other kitschy items to make Jewish people feel special this time of year. All these years later, we’re still not going to assimilate.
But — especially in a post–October 7 world — it would be nice to hear some Hanukkah songs on the radio or on store speakers or in downtown public spaces more often, just like we hear Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Darlene Love, Michael Bublé, and others. I’m not saying Christmas music isn’t great. It is. I love it. Much of it was even written by Jewish songwriters. I’m just saying there are some excellent Hanukkah songs that also deserve recognition. And I’m not even talking about Adam Sandler’s overplayed (and totally outdated) “Hanukkah Song.”
Here, in no particular order, are eight examples, all of which can be found on my “Not Adam Sandler Hanukkah Songs” playlist on Spotify. If any of these tracks are added to the regular rotation during the December holiday season, that would also be a miracle. Speaking of which …
Matisyahu – “Miracle”
This song by Matisyahu is a pop-reggae groove that goes straight to the heart of the holiday, celebrating the miracles at its core. Matisyahu frames Hanukkah as a reminder that sometimes, while we’re bound to struggle and fall, our “strength comes not from man at all.” The best part of the track is how effortlessly Matisyahu packs the holiday’s depth and spirituality into a track with a genuinely catchy beat and sing-along hook that you can actually dance to. In its own way, that feels like a little miracle, too.
The LeeVees – “How Do You Spell Channukkahh”
Here’s a seasonal brain-twister we all run into sooner or later: How do you spell Hanukkah? Is it with a C or H? What about those N’s and K’s: Do you use one or two? Everyone has a go-to spelling, and this song leans right into the uncertainty. The LeeVees — a Guster-spinoff Jewish rock band that, sadly, only produced one album — turn the whole spelling debate into a playful lament. Their point is basically: If a word as ridiculous as antidisestablishmentarianism can have a settled spelling, why can’t our eight-night holiday? The song is nerdy, catchy … and painfully relatable.
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – “8 Days (of Hanukkah)”
This modern throwback Hanukkah track comes from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and it’s an absolute jam. Their Motown-soaked vibe is equal parts cool and funky, and Jones delivers lines like “Time to spin the dreidel and hope that gimel shows up on my turn” with the kind of confidence that makes you believe she actually knows what she’s singing about. Best of all, the song avoids the tired trap of winking puns and predictable rhymes. It’s just a great soul song that happens to be about a Jewish holiday.
Indigo Girls – “Happy Joyous Hanukkah”
I’m a fan of this track because it’s pure candle-lighting joy with that signature Indigo Girls warmth. It’s also a cover of a Woody Guthrie tune, so the song has an old-school, front-porch simplicity, and the duo’s harmonies make it feel instantly cozy and communal. The lyrics basically walk you through the holiday — eight nights, eight candles, little nods to the story — and the refrain borders on ear worm. The vibe is bright and earnest without being corny. It sounds like two friends happily leading the room in a sing-along … which is pretty much exactly what you want at Hanukkah.
Daveed Diggs – “Puppy for Hanukkah”
This song by one of the stars of Hamilton was an instant classic when it dropped in 2020. It’s a genuinely sweet and legitimately catchy track that plays out a typical eight-nights-of-presents story: a kid dreams of getting something he really wants (a puppy) … and keeps getting socks, sweaters, and other very unexciting things instead. Diggs sells the story with rapid-fire charm, while the klezmer-style clarinet line underneath gives the song a playful (though sorta cliche) holiday bounce. The rhymes are delightfully goofy, and the whole track feels like a mini Hanukkah sitcom. It’s smart, silly, and instantly re-playable.
Nissim Black and Kosha Dillz – “The Hanukkah Song 2.0”
Okay, so this one may be cheating a little bit. Nissim Black and Kosha Dillz’s “The Hanukkah Song 2.0” updates the song everybody knows but takes it in a different direction. Yes, it’s a loving hip-hop remix of Adam Sandler’s original, but it’s filtered through two artists who actually live and breathe Jewish culture — so the references are contemporary, proud, and personal. Whereas Sandler riffed on notable celebs who are Jewish, this track tackles weightier topics, such as the role of God in protecting the Jewish people over time. The beat goes hard, the flow is “so iconica,” and the song has lots of “Made in New York” energy. Most importantly, it’s affectionate and hype: a track you can rap along to that will keep you smiling all eight days.
Tom Lehrer – “(I’m Spending) Hanukkah in Santa Monica”
Satirist Tom Lehrer’s playful ditty has endured since 1990 because it’s basically a holiday party in lyric form. It’s fun, breezy, and hilariously self-aware. The wit comes fast, like a clever dad-joke-loving friend nudging you in the ribs. And the rhymes? Absolute treats. Lehrer stacks playful, unexpected pairings (like one about spending “Yom Kippuh way down in Mississippuh”) that make the song bounce along like a stand-up set with a melody.
Boyz II Menorah – “A Week and a Day”
Though it was meant as a joke, Boyz II Menorah’s “A Week and a Day” is a great Hanukkah pop song that commits hard to the bit: It’s a full-on ’90s boy-band slow jam (sung by James Corden with Zach Braff, Charlie Puth, Josh Peck, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse), except the object of devotion is the Festival of Lights. The gimmick is already funny, but the song is also genuinely catchy, with silky harmonies that feel weirdly sincere for a parody. Lyrically, it’s packed with Hanukkah shout-outs and cheeky romantic lines, turning eight nights of candles and presents into an over-the-top love anthem. Gut yontif, baby!
You will find all of these songs, and more, on my aforementioned Adam Sandler–free Hanukkah-music playlist. You won’t find any a cappella parodies, either, but I did throw in Darlene Love’s “Christmastime for the Jews” just because.
Hag sameach!
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