Why Hanukkah isn't the 'Jewish Christmas' and other facts about the holiday

• This year, Hanukkah will begin on Dec. 24, within hours of Christmas
• Despite the tendency to refer to Hanukkah as 'Jewish Christmas,' the holidays' histories and traditions differ greatly
• Misconceptions about elements of Hanukkah abound, from the holiday's rabbinical roots to gift-giving practices

Hanukkah and Christmas both emphasize lights, miracles, family time and food.

This year, they even begin within hours of each other.

But as tempting as it might be for some to consider Hanukkah the "Jewish Christmas," the moniker is inaccurate and borderline insulting, according to religious scholars.

After all, they say, the whole point of the holiday is to salute Jews' unwillingness to convert or conform.

"Hanukkah … reminds us of the military victory of the Israelites, the Hasmonean family, over the Greco-Syrians," said Rabbi Arthur Lavinsky, from Beth El Congregation in Phoenix.

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The Greco-Syrians tried to force Jews to assimilate and forget Jewish traditions and teachings.

"The Jews fought back. They revolted. And miraculously, against all odds, they won," Lavinsky said.

"While I believe most Jews appreciate the beauty of Christmas for their Christian neighbors, there is something important and even sacred about Jews saying, 'But we celebrate Hanukkah, because this is our holiday.' "

Celebrate Hanukkah 2016 with these events around the Phoenix metro area

The "Jewish Christmas" misnomer is just one misconception about Hanukkah, which begins Dec. 24 at sundown this year.

Here is a look at eight others.

Hanukkah is often referred to as the "Festival of Lights," but that's not its literal meaning.

The word "Hanukkah" translates to "dedication." It refers to the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the revolt.

"When they liberated the temple that had been violated and defiled, they found only one cruse, or bottle, of oil that was enough to last for one day," Lavinsky said. "Miraculously, it lasted for eight."

What you probably know as a "menorah" is actually a "hanukiah."

A hanukiah, the type of candelabrum specifically used for Hanukkah, has nine branches.

The menorahs used in synagogues year-round typically have fewer branches.

Hanukiahs hold eight candles at one level, representing the eight days of the miracle. The "attendant" candle, used to light the others, is usually elevated.

Candles are placed right to left in the hanukiah, then lit left to right. Families light one candle on the first night of Hanukkah, two on the second and so on.

"In certain Jewish communities, sometimes it will just be the head of the household who will light the hanukiah," Lavinsky said. "There are other traditions where everyone in the family has one of their own to light."

Families generally use oil or candle hanukiahs for the nightly lighting. But many also purchase electric menorahs to place by a front window to "advertise the fact that there was a miracle," Lavinsky said.

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The 'one-to-eight' candle-lighting method wasn't a given.

Shammai and Hillel, two sages who led opposing schools of Jewish thought, argued over how it should be done thousands of years ago.

"Shammai felt that, because the oil diminished over the eight days, you should start with eight candles and work your way down," Lavinsky said. "Hillel felt you should start with one and work your way up to eight.

"Hillel's rationale, which we now follow, was that you always ascend in holiness, always strive to go upwards," he said. "I think that's a wonderful spiritual lesson for people of all faiths."

The miracle of Hanukkah does not appear in the Hebrew Bible.

"This holiday is rabbinically ordained, meaning it was established by rabbis," Lavinsky said.

"Interestingly, it is found in the Book of Maccabees in the Christian Bible, but not in the Jewish canon," he said.

Hanukkah might be the most well-known Jewish holiday, but it's not the most important one.

Technically, Hanukkah is a "minor" holiday with minimal religious restrictions.

"As wonderful a holiday as it is and as joyous, it is not to be compared in holiness to other days in the Jewish calendar like Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, or Yom Kippur, the day of atonement," Lavinsky said.

Hanukkah's "proximity to Christmas in the general culture often thrusts it into the limelight, whereas it may not be so important on its own," he said.

And Hanukkah "certainly cannot compare in terms of the emphasis that Christmas has at this time of the year."

Potato pancakes aren't the only traditional Hanukkah food.

Many people think of latkes as the end-all, be-all Hanukkah snack.

But jelly-filled doughnuts known as sufganiyot and other fried sweets often make an appearance, too.

Some bakeries sell twists on traditional sufganiyot, filling them with dulce de leche or replacing powdered sugar with a more decadent topping.

"It's a holiday that celebrates oil," Lavinsky said. "Judaism has an affinity for cholesterol, and this is a holiday that adds to it."

Dreidels don't look the same everywhere.

Outside of Israel, the four Hebrew letters on the sides of the spinning tops form an acronym for "Nes gadol haya sham," or "A great miracle happened there."

In Israel, the last letter is changed to make "A great miracle happened here."

Adults use the dreidel game, a simple one of chance, to engage children in the Hanukkah celebrations.

Each player takes a turn spinning the top. When it stops, the letter facing up determines whether a player must give to or take from the pot.

The pot can include anything from chocolate coins known as gelt to nuts, figs or marbles, Lavinsky said.

"It could also have real money," he said, "but most people find it better to use candy than have their kids gamble."

Gift-giving isn't a traditional part of Hanukkah.

The custom took root in the last century.

Though Lavinsky joked about Jews feeling a need to "keep up with Joneses," he said the addition isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Cultures tend to borrow from one another," he said, mentioning Judaism's influence on the Christian rite of baptism.

"That’s one of the great things about not being ghettoized (segregated)," he said. "When we live among other people, we are able to pick the finest of their traditions and sometimes emulate them."

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