(Photo credit: Orlando Weekly)

Understandably, Jewish theme park goers sometimes feel left out during the Orlando area vacation season. Since my “day job” is a Christian pastor, I am familiar with the Maccabees revolt. I could overwhelm you with details about the historicity of Antiochus Epiphanes IV. In contrast, some of you may just want to think about what happens on those crazy eight nights of Hanukkah. Although Hanukkah is not the highest Jewish festival, it is an important reminder of the Jewish tradition during the “holidays”. How do you celebrate Hanukkah at the Universal Orlando Resort?

There is some predictable bad news and some great news for people who want to celebrate Hanukkah at Universal Orlando. The expected bad news is that you won’t find a large display of Hanukkah decorations in the parks. Ironically, the year-round Christmas shops sometimes have a small display of Jewish holiday items. Overall, the theme parks will look like a Christmas camp that has exploded in certain sections. As you can imagine, you could stroll around Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure during Hanukkah

never see anything that reminds you of this celebration. Of course, it’s unfair to expect this to happen in Seuss Landing and the areas of the Wizarding World. Apparently there were no Jews in these literary works, well!

The good news is that you can celebrate a menorah lighting every night of Hannukah at Universal Orlando. All eight Universal Orlando hotels are hosting a free menorah lighting ceremony from November 28 through December 6. This way, if you wish, you can share the traditions with other like-minded people. These ceremonies, as you might expect, take place every evening at sunset. Universal is asking guests to confirm the exact time with your resort. The best way to confirm these times is to go to the front desk or concierge desk at one of the resort hotels. Another option is to call the concierge at 407-503-3200. Additionally, you don’t need to be staying at an on-site Universal Orlando Resort hotel to attend.

A few decades ago, I barely passed Biblical Hebrew. Besides that, Shalom and Hanukkah Sameach!

Selected image source: Orlando weekly

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