🕎 Hanukkah riddles for kids with answers

Light the candles, spin the dreidel and try these riddles about the Festival of Lights with the whole family.

1. I have nine branches, and I shine for eight nights. What am I?

   💡 Hint

   You put candles in me.

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   A Hanukkah menorah (hanukkiah)

2. I spin on my point, and I have a Hebrew letter on each of my four sides. What am I?

   💡 Hint

   Kids play a game with me.

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   A dreidel

3. I'm round and sweet, fried in oil, and often filled with jelly. What am I?

   💡 Hint

   I'm covered in powdered sugar.

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   A sufganiyah (jelly doughnut)

4. I'm a crispy pancake made from grated potatoes and fried in oil. What am I?

   💡 Hint

   People eat me with applesauce or sour cream.

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   A latke

5. I'm the candle that lights all the others. What am I called?

   💡 Hint

   I usually stand higher or apart from the rest.

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   The shamash

6. I look like money, but I'm made of chocolate. What am I?

   💡 Hint

   I'm wrapped in gold foil.

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   Hanukkah gelt

7. Over all eight nights of Hanukkah, how many candles do you light in total, including the shamash every night?

   💡 Hint

   Add the nights first, then add one helper candle per night.

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   44. That's 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 = 36 candles, plus 8 shamash candles.

8. The little jar of oil had only enough for one day. How many days did it burn?

   💡 Hint

   Count the nights of Hanukkah.

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   Eight days

9. Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of which Hebrew month?

   💡 Hint

   It usually falls in November or December.

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   Kislev

10. You spin the dreidel and it lands on Gimmel. What do you get?

    💡 Hint

    It's the best letter to land on.

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    The whole pot!

11. Who was the brave family who won back the Temple in the Hanukkah story?

    💡 Hint

    Judah was one of them.

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    The Maccabees