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It is traditional to fry Hanukkah foods in oil. Photo: The Gifted Photographer/Flickr

Hanukkah food traditions are an important part of the Hanukkah celebration. As part of the commemoration of the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago, Jewish families include Hanukkah food traditions in their celebrations.

Many of the Hanukkah food traditions involve frying. The oil used for frying is symbolic of the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple in Jerusalem. Here are some recipes for oil-fried Hanukkah food traditions.
Dairy is also an important Hanukkah food tradition that is meant to remind us of Yehudit, a Jewish heroine who saved her village from the Syrians. Yehudit served cheese and wine to the Syrian governor and beheaded him when he became drunk. When the Syrian troops discovered their governor had been killed, they fled. Even foods with a small amount of milk or milk derivative are considered dairy by Jewish Dietary Laws. Dairy products should be kosher (come from a kosher animal and contain no non-kosher or meat substances.)

Here are some recipes for dairy Hanukkah food traditions: