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Chanukah in the City returns to Market Square Monday, what you need to know before you go

Chanukah in the City is back in Market Square Monday starting at 4 p.m. with ice skating, followed by the lighting of a 12-foot menorah at 5 p.m.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With the start of Hanukkah Sunday, Knoxville's own celebrations are about to begin in Market Square. 

Chanukah in the City is back in Market Square Monday starting at 4 p.m. with ice skating, followed by the lighting of a 12-foot menorah at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $11 for adults and $8 for children. 

The event is presented by the Chabad of Knoxville and new Mayor Indya Kincannon will also be joining the celebration. 

The celebration will include hot latkes, Hanukkah chocolate coins, Rafi's doughnuts and music.  

Here are just a few basic facts about Hanukkah before you go! 

Why is it 8 days long?

It's all because of a miracle. A one-day supply of oil that was traditionally used to light a menorah in ancient times miraculously lasted eight days, long enough for a replacement supply to reach the temple where the menorah burned.

How do I spell the holiday?

It really doesn't matter as long as it sounds right. There are more than a dozen variations in English, according to the Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster.

Why are there so many spellings?

The holiday's name comes from Hebrew--which doesn't use the Latin alphabet. This means there's not an exact match for some sounds in Hebrew, which is why we ended up with all those different spellings.

Where does dreidel fit into the holiday?

Dreidel - the game with the spinny things and chocolate coins - has been around much longer than Hanukkah. But it became one of the best known symbols associated with Hanukkah because the Jews actually used it as a coverup when studying the Torah was against the law in ancient Greece. The Jewish people played with dreidels in order to fool the Greeks, quickly breaking out the dreidels and coins and hiding the Torah if they were caught.

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