Understanding Hanukkah Symbols and Foods
This Memory Match Hanukkah Symbols and Foods game introduces elementary students to six important elements of Hanukkah celebration: the menorah, Star of David, candle, olive oil, potato latkes, and sufganiyot. Through matching these symbols and foods, PreK through grade 5 students build memory skills while learning about the eight-day Jewish festival known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah commemorates the victory of Jewish people who rose up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt (Baskin, 2024).
The Menorah – Symbol of the Miracle
The menorah, also called a hanukkiah, represents Hanukkah’s central symbol. A hanukkiah holds nine candles: eight symbolizing the eight nights of the holiday and one shamash (helper candle) used to light the others (Baskin, 2024). Each evening during Hanukkah, families add one more candle until all eight shine brightly on the final night. This ritual connects directly to the Hanukkah miracle: when the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple, there was only enough oil to last one day, yet miraculously it burned for eight days (Galchinsky, 2024).
The Star of David – Jewish Identity
The Star of David appears frequently during Hanukkah season, though it represents Jewish identity more broadly rather than symbolizing Hanukkah specifically. My Jewish Learning notes that the Star of David “is not really a Hanukkah symbol but a Jewish symbol that gets a lot of play during the Hanukkah season” (Foer, 2022). The menorah actually has more ancient origins as a Jewish symbol.
Olive Oil and Traditional Foods
The olive oil in this game represents the miraculous oil that burned for eight days in the Temple. Traditional holiday celebrations include lighting the menorah each night and eating food cooked in oil to commemorate this miracle (Galchinsky, 2024).
Potato latkes, fried potato pancakes, have become one of the most popular Hanukkah foods in the United States, usually served with applesauce or sour cream (Galchinsky, 2024). While latkes are most popular in America, sufganiyot became Israel’s preferred Hanukkah food thanks to efforts by the Histadrut, Israel’s labor union, in the 1920s (Abramowitz, 2025). The Histadrut promoted sufganiyot production to create jobs for union members, since making sufganiyot required commercial bakeries while latkes could easily be made at home. Today, sufganiyot are sold by Israeli bakeries as early as September, and more Israeli Jews report eating sufganiyot on Hanukkah than fasting on Yom Kippur (Sufganiyah, 2025).
Hanukkah in Educational Context
In the Jewish calendar, Hanukkah holds relatively minor religious significance compared with Passover or Yom Kippur (Kahn-Harris, 2025). However, due to its timing near Christmas, Hanukkah has become more prominent in American Jewish celebrations and cultural visibility.
Educational Applications
This memory matching activity provides age-appropriate cultural education for elementary students. PreK and kindergarten students benefit from matching colorful images while learning about symbols their classmates may celebrate. Older elementary students can extend learning by researching the historical Maccabean victory and exploring why these specific foods and symbols became Hanukkah traditions.
References
Abramowitz, J. (2025, August 27). Why do we eat latkes and sufganiyot on Chanukah? Kosher.com. https://www.kosher.com/article/why-do-we-eat-latkes-and-sufganiyot-on-chanukah-511/
Baskin, J. R. (2024, October 28). Five on-screen references to Hanukkah to help you celebrate this Jewish festival. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/five-on-screen-references-to-hanukkah-to-help-you-celebrate-this-jewish-festival-196598
Foer, J. S. (2022, December 6). Symbols of Hanukkah. My Jewish Learning. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/symbols-of-hanukkah/
Galchinsky, M. (2024, November 1). Hanukkah celebrations have changed dramatically – but the same is true of Christmas. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/hanukkah-celebrations-have-changed-dramatically-but-the-same-is-true-of-christmas-215119
Kahn-Harris, K. (2025, October 14). The story of Hanukkah: How a minor Jewish holiday was remade in the image of Christmas. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-hanukkah-how-a-minor-jewish-holiday-was-remade-in-the-image-of-christmas-127620
Sufganiyah. (2025, December 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufganiyah
If you enjoyed learning about Hanukkah symbols, check out our virtual dreidel game for more learning!
