I’m not Jewish, but almost all my friends when I was growing up (and a whole lot of them now!) are Jewish, so even though I celebrate Christmas with my family, I’ve celebrated probably just as many Hanukkahs over the years. And you know what? I freaking love Hanukkah! It’s wonderful and fun and a super great holiday. I have Jewish friends who insist that it’s no big deal and that some of their Jewish families don’t even celebrate it, but I still think it’s great.

If you’re about to light another candle tonight at home, or if you’re going to someone else’s Hanukkah celebration, here are eight totally awesome reasons to love the celebration of lights:

1. You Get Eight Nights
Yes, I’m the girl who had to take pre-algebra twice, but even I can do the math and see that eight nights is kind of better than the one we get for Christmas.

2. Donuts
Seriously? Donuts are like, one of the official foods of Hanukkah. Jelly filled ones are usually the most popular, but pretty much any donut will do. And you know who loves donuts?! THIS GIRL.

3. Dreidels
If you’ve never spun a dreidel, get thee to the mall, buy one for like, a dollar, and start playing! It’s so fun, and if you’re lucky, you could win a ton of gelt (those shiny gold chocolate coins you always see around Hanukkah!).

4. That Adam Sandler Song
Who can forget Adam Sandler’s amazing ode to the festival of lights?! Go tell Veronica, it’s time to celebrate Hanukkah!

5. Latkes
Not sure what a latke is? It’s a pancake (yum!) made out of potatoes (yum!) and fried in oil (super yum!). The reason why there’s so much oily food at Hanukkah is because the holiday revolves around a miraculous event in which a very small amount of oil, that could typically only keep lights burning for one night, lasted for eight whole nights. Bring. On. The. Oil!

6. Everyone looks good in Blue
I love Christmas and all, but red is a pretty tough color to pull off. Especially for redheads like me. But you know what everybody looks good in? Blue. The color of Hanukkah.

7. Candles
So, every night of Hanukkah you light another candle on the menorah until you get to the eighth night when all the candles are lit. It’s really pretty, and because candlelight is extremely flattering, you’re gonna look really good each night, girl!

8. The Message Is Kind Of Awesome
I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of Hanukkah origins, but basically–like I said about the oil lasting longer than it should have–it’s about perseverance, pushing yourself to do and be your best every day. And couldn’t we all use a little motivation now and then?

Do you celebrate Hanukkah? Do you have friends who do? What do you love most about the holiday? Tell us in the comments!

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