Best Movies to Watch During Hanukkah With the Whole Family

The holiday season is upon us, and we’re all looking for ways to celebrate with our families. If you have a family that includes people of different faiths or no faith at all, then Hanukkah can be an especially meaningful time of year.

It’s also a great opportunity to introduce your kids to Jewish culture and traditions, which are often very different from what they know about Christmas. This article will help you find some movies that are appropriate for everyone in your family, including children who may not yet understand the significance of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah is a celebration of the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after it was desecrated by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 168 BCE. It lasts eight days (the number of years that the temple stood before being destroyed), and is celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev.

The festival commemorates the victory of Judah Maccabee over the Seleucid Empire in 165 BCE, when he recaptured the temple and rededicated it.

The holiday is observed as a religious feast, but it has become increasingly secularized in recent decades. In Israel, many non-Orthodox Jews observe Hanukkah as a secular winter holiday, while others continue to observe it as a religious holiday.

In America, most Orthodox Jews do not celebrate Hanukkah because it falls during the High Holidays, and there is no longer a need to keep the lights burning for eight nights. However, many Reform and Conservative synagogues still light their menorah candles for eight nights.

In addition, many American Jews observe Hanukkiah as a secular holiday, although this is less common than in previous generations.

Top 10 Best Movies To Watch During Hanukkha With The Whole Family. 

Hanukkah is one of those holidays where everyone gets together to celebrate something special. Whether you're celebrating with friends and family or just spending quality time with your loved ones, here's a list of movies that will make the occasion even more memorable.

1. A Wonderful Life

A Wonderful Life is a 1946 film directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. It tells the story of George Bailey, played by Stewart, whose life is saved by his guardian angel Clarence Odbody.

2. Miracle On 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 romantic comedy film based on the book of the same name by Richard Condon. It stars Maureen O'Hara and John Payne as Kris Kringle and Jack Frost respectively.

3. The Wizard Of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 fantasy musical drama film produced by Metro Goldwyn Mayer and distributed by Warner Bros.. Directed by Victor Fleming, the film features songs written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, and music composed by Herbert Stothart.

4. Meet Me In St. Louis

Meet Me In St. Louis is a 1944 romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Judy Garland and Ray Bolger. The screenplay by Robert Riskin is based on the short stories "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "Meet Me in St Louie", both by Dorothy Parker.

5. White Christmas

White Christmas is a 1954 romantic comedy/musical film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. The film is loosely based on Irving Berlin's songbook, which includes such standards as "White Christmas," "Easter Parade," "Blue Skies," "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," "Cheek to Cheek," "Let There Be Peace on Earth," and "God Bless America."

6. Home Alone

Animated/live action comedy Home Alone was released by Paramount Pictures on December 21, 1990. It was directed by Chris Columbus. When a 8 year old boy, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), visits his friend Al Borland (Joe Pesci) and ends up leaving his family home alone.

7. Elf

Elf is a 2003 American 3D computer-animated comedy film directed and co-produced by Jon Favreau, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The plot revolves around Buddy, an elf who sets off to New York City to find Santa Claus after being banished from the North Pole.

8. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacations is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Steve Kloves and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Marg Helgenberger, and Bonnie Hunt. It is the fourth installment in the National Lampoon's Christmas films series.

9. The Holiday

It stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Meryl Streep. It was directed by Nancy Meyers and produced by Alfie Rehm. The script was written by Peter Hedges and Amanda Silver, based on their own novel of the same name.

10. It's A Wonderful Life

Capra produced and directed the 1946 black-and-white drama film It's a Wonderful Life. The film is an adaptation of the novella The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern, with some elements adapted from the play The Lifesavers by Sidney Howard. The film stars Henry Fonda as George Bailey, Donna Reed as Mary Hatch, Thomas Mitchell as Mr. Potter, Barry Fitzgerald as Clarence Odbody, Lionel Barrymore as Mr. Gower, and Everett Sloane as Harry Boggs.

Conclusion

This Jewish holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean defeat of the Seleucid Greek army in 165 BCE. It also marks the end of the eight-day Feast of Dedication, during which time the altar was cleaned and consecrated. The holiday lasts for eight days because it commemorates the miracle of oil lasting for only eight days instead of seven as well as the victory over Antiochus IV Epiphanes.