Hanukkah Outfit Ideas. Who doesn’t love a good festival? It’s a welcome break from the norm, providing much-needed excitement and anticipation against the mundanity of everyday lives. Religious festivals are more significant than ordinary festivals because they let you celebrate your identity.
They teach your kids who they are and where they came from. Such holidays are dignified and noble and celebrated with respect and pride. Hanukkah is a minor holiday, celebrated among the Jewish community with as much enthusiasm as other people celebrate Christmas. It’s a special time with its own set of unique rituals, foods, and, you guessed it, clothing.
What to Wear on Hanukkah?
Since Hanukkah is celebrated in the colder months of November or December, the outfits worn for the occasion are chosen accordingly. Kids, adults, babies, and toddlers, everyone dresses up in smart ways. Before we get into the outfits, let us take you through a Hanukkah crash-course.
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is a Jewish religious festival known as ‘the Festival of Lights.’ It’s a lesser festival celebrated strictly amongst the Jewish community, though it has gained recognition of late.
Why is it celebrated?
The events that led to it happened after Torah, the Jewish religious text, was written. The land of Israel or Judea came to be ruled over by a Syrian king of the Seleucid Empire around 200 BC. When his son took over, he abolished the religious freedom his father gave and forced Jews to worship Greek gods. He slaughtered the people in Jerusalem and converted the Holy Second Temple into an altar for Zeus.
Around 164 B.C, Judah Maccabee led a large scale rebellion and drove out the intruders from Jerusalem. He instructed his followers to rebuild the Temple and light a multi-branched candelabrum. It said that there wasn’t enough oil, but the candles kept burning for eight days. This miracle led the Jews to celebrate Hanukkah yearly from then on.
You won’t regret having a look at Handsome Jewish Men & Most Beautiful Jewish Women In The World.
What does ‘Hanukkah’ mean?
Hanukkah means ‘to dedicate’ or ‘to establish’ in Hebrew.
When is it celebrated?
The festival is celebrated in eight days, starting from the 25th of Kislev, and ending on 2nd or 3rd Tevet, depending on when the former month ends. Kislev and Tevet are months in the Jewish calendar. The coinciding Gregorian months for Kislev are late November to late December.
2020 Dates for Hanukkah: The festival will begin at sunset on December 10 and end at nightfall on December 18.
How is it celebrated?
The central part of the celebrations is to light a nine-branched candelabrum. This candelabrum is called the ‘menorah.’ The candle in the middle is called the ‘shamash’; it is usually above or below the other candles and is used to light them. One additional candle is lighted each night by the shamash until all eight candles are lit on the eighth night. The candles usually burn for at least half an hour.
Other traditions and customs:
- Candles are lighted at specific times, with blessings recited upon them.
- Songs such as the Ma’oz Tzur are sung after lighting the candles. Some Jewish factions recite Psalms.
- Gifts are exchanged during this time.
- Children are urged to give charity.
- It is forbidden to fast during Hanukkah.
- Women don’t work in the half-hour the candles burn.
- Dishes cooked or baked in oil are eaten, such as latkes, sufganiyot, and other dairy products.
- It is customary to play the game of dreidel after the lighting. Dreidel is a spinning top with four sides that children play with.
- Children are given small amounts of money in the form of coins. This is called the Hanukkah Gelt.
What kind of clothing is worn on Hanukkah?
Luckily, there are no obligations in this matter. People may wear what they wish. However, most people go for Hanukkah-themed outfits, featuring menorahs, gelt, latkes, etc. The official colors of Hanukkah are white and blue, so these colors are prevalent in themed costumes.
Where to buy Hanukkah Outfits?
You can find fun Hanukkah clothing for men, women, and children at reasonable rates from these online stores:
↓ 20 – The Velvety Menorah Dress
When you search for Hanukkah-themed clothing, this is the first thing you’ll find on the internet. Jewish women celebrating tend to go with this gorgeous velvet dress. It looks, and most likely feels, soft and luscious to the touch. The print has Hanukkah must-haves, the menorah being the most prominent one. It’s available in different sizes and is made with expandable material.
↓ 19 – The Dreidel Dress
Apart from the menorah, the Hanukkah dresses feature the game of dreidel the most. This subtle design has big dreidel patterns in blue and white, while the dress’s background is of the palest blue. In our research, we haven’t come across this type of clothing often, so it’s a unique one. The person wearing it has made the outfit even more fun by wearing these maroon velvet pants with flowing bottoms, a belt at the waist, and a winter cap. Think what you must, it certainly has appeal.
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↓ 18 – The Menorah Sweater Dress
Number 2 on the list of most common Hanukkah costumes is this sweater dress featuring a menorah pocket at the front and center. The dress is entirely on the theme where the colors and icons are concerned. We also think it’s cool that it’s a wholly knitted dress instead of just a sweater, which is more often seen. You can wear them with trousers, pants or long socks if the weather is super cold.
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↓ 17 – Toddler Dreidel Frock
There is a vast selection of baby girl dresses for Hanukkah online. If you’re thinking of dressing up your mini-me for the festival of lights this year, consider something like this uber-cute blue dreidel dress. The 3D dreidel icons kind of look like blue ice-creams, to be honest. The color scheme is soothing and makes the dress look adorable.
↓ 16 – Hanukkah Set for Couples
If your guy wants to celebrate by coordinating his outfit with yours, what can possibly be better than that? Fortunately, such blazer and trouser sets are available for men under ‘Hanukkah Clothing’ on various websites. It’s heartening to see that the male customers aren’t left out of the loop by designers. True, it might look a bit over the top and flashy, but you probably have to wear it on a single night instead of all eight nights of Chanukkah.
↓ 15 – Blue Twirl Baby-girl Dress
This lovely blue twirl dress comes with a striped top and a forget-me-not blue skirt with miniature objects representing the festival. It looks straight out of Frozen. Mention this similarity, and we’re sure your daughter will be thrilled to wear this. Teach your kids about their religion and traditional values by wrapping them up in something they’ll find enticing.
For more inspiring frock ideas, have a look at Frock Designs for Little Girls.
↓ 14 – Tutu Romper for Newborns
For infants and newborns, this charming blue romper and headband set is a must-have. Your child’s first Hanukkah has to be special, and for that, you need something adorable to dress her in. Don’t forget to go photo-crazy and show her how cute she looked when she’s older. You can even store it safely and pass it down to your other children and grandchildren.
↓ 13 – Casual Party Outfit
Now, for those who want to celebrate the holiday without wearing costumes, that is totally fine. In fact, people do it all the time. Consider these two ladies. They are wearing completely casual ensembles while celebrating. One or both of them have gone ahead to decorate for the festivities, but they’ve chosen not to wear anything particular. We think that’s cool.
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↓ 12 – Matching Hanukkah PJ sets
You can throw parties and be as public in your celebrations as possible. Or, you can do it quietly with select people, like your immediate family members or your spouse. Hanukkah is all about lighting candles and remembering the miracle. Privately, you and your spouse can observe these nights in quiet contemplation but wait! Don’t forget to wear matching PJs!
↓ 11 – Themed T-shirts for Him and Her
Nothing like a good pun t-shirt to set the vibe, eh? There is no shortage of Hanukkah t-shirts on the internet. You’ll be surprised at how many jokes and designs based on the holiday can be found on t-shirts. Places like Amazon and Etsy are the best places to try. These matching couple t-shirts with dreidel puns look fantastic. We love the dark colors and the cool font.
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↓ 10 – Latke Leggings
Here’s a funky idea: instead of wearing full-fledged themed clothing, go for a single article of clothing that represents what you’re celebrating in some way and then build the rest of your outfit from there! We adore this style of wearing Hanukkah leggings with a coordinating shirt and footwear. These latke leggings are chic, and the overall outfit is an excellent street-style look. If you carefully search online, you’ll find various other Hanukkah leggings with different designs.
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↓ 9 – What to Wear on Hanukkah – Group Outfits
So you and your friends are planning a get together to celebrate the holiday, and you’re thinking, should we all dress the same? The answer is, no, you don’t have to. Just look at this merry band of individuals. Half of them are in casual, everyday clothes, and the other has dressed for the occasion. It goes to show that you have a free reign over your dressing.
↓ 8 – The Jewnicorn Sweater
Among several punny sweaters, the Jewnicorn sweater takes the prize for being adorable and hilarious simultaneously. Hanukkah colors: check. A majestic looking unicorn on display: check. Good humor: double-check. The fantastic thing is, you can wear this on any given day since it can be counted as a casual but fun sweater. Avoid adding more blue to your outfit. Opt for black jeans or a skirt instead.
↓ 7 – Mini-dress with Multiple Chanukkah Elements
Going back to specifically-made costumes, you can check out this bright number if you want to follow the dressing theme strictly. Again, this dress has all the elements that define the festival of light. The color scheme has gorgeous shades of blue, gold, and white. The dress length is pretty short; it can be worn with knee-high boots and leggings to make up for it. Tell you what, choose four proper costumes for four nights and go with casual clothes for the other four!
Iconic Celebrity Hanukkah Outfits
↓ 6 – Michelle Obama’s Shining Blue Dress
The White House has been celebrating Hanukkah since 2001! For the 2011 celebrations, Barack and Michelle Obama, also known as the Dream Team, made a striking pair in their blue ensembles. Michelle, of course, stole the show. Her sparkling blue pleated dress respected the theme of Hanukkah but dared to be different from the usual fare.
↓ 5 – Knitted Romper for Andy Cohen’s Baby Boy
This dad-son duo decided to coordinate as befitting two handsome men. The dark blue jumper of the dad matches with the knitted jumper of the baby boy. The little one watches raptly while his dad lights the candles.
↓ 4 – Wear Something Other Than Blue – Family Outfits
It’s okay to go for other colors too, like this celebrity and his family. It’s evident that the little ones are dressed up only; the mom and dad are in casual clothes. The red colors and the checkered print remind one of Christmas, which is celebrated around the same time as Hanukkah. There’s an adorable little menorah being lighted, and we spy presents!
↓ 3 – Ivanka Trump’s Fancy Blue Dress
Ivanka, her husband, and her youngest wear blue during the holiday. If what we can see here is anything to go by, the dress is incredible. It features a super stylish neck-line with silver accents. All you need to do is to go to a thrift store and search for blue dresses.
↓ 2 – Bryce Dallas Howard’s Black Jumper
The redhead lights multi-shaded blue candles on a metallic gold candelabrum. We quite like her black shirt, which is adorned with some kind of gold detailing. Her dressing lends the occasion as somber and reverent air.
↓ 1 – Joey King’s Knitted Vest
Joey King knows how to have fun. The pint-sized cutie is seen rocking this knitted Hanukkah vest over a plain white shirt and black pants. Oh, and her LED light sneakers are the bomb!
