‘Rugrats Chanukah’ Is The ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ For Jewish Kids

In 1996, Tommy Pickles became a legend when he uttered the most famous words in Hanukkah history: “A Macca-baby’s gotta do what a Macca-baby’s gotta do.” The line heard ’round the Jewish world comes from “Rugrats Chanukah,” Rugrats‘ answer to Christmas-centric holiday specials, and the first-ever Hanukkah episode of its kind.

As a kid, watching Rugrats‘ Hanukkah (I prefer this spelling, but feel free to pick from one of the eighty other options American Jewry has provided) special wasn’t just a holiday tradition; it was a central element of our celebration, as much a part of the holiday as lighting the menorah, making latkes, and playing dreidel. While I maintain that Hanukkah doesn’t deserve its own movie and TV canon, I do believe that “Rugrats Chanukah” is the closest thing Jews have to a real classic. As the first introduction many children have to the holiday, “Rugrats Chanukah” is basically the Miracle on 34th Street for Jewish kids — a must-see event that defines how many young Jews understand and relate to Hanukkah.

“Rugrats Chanukah,” the first episode in Rugrats‘ fourth season, tells the story of Hanukkah through the eyes of Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica. As Grandma Minka reads them a book about the holiday, the babies imagine themselves as the story’s main characters, Judah (Tommy) and the Maccabees (Chuckie, Phil, and Lil). Meanwhile, Tommy’s Grandpa Boris gets into a fight over the synagogue’s Hanukkah play with Shlomo, another old man in the congregation, and the dispute leads the babies to dub Shlomo the “Meanie of Chanukah” (a reference to the Greek King Antiochus). After a brief intermission — prompted by Boris and Shlomo’s Yiddish-filled spat — the men declare a ceasefire, and Shlmo finishes reading the story of Hanukkah to the babies. The Maccabees rededicate the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the oil lasts for eight nights… you know the drill.

Of course, getting any sort of crucial information from Rugrats is inherently problematic (there are probably kids out there who still think that the Greek king’s name was “Antonica”) but on the whole, “Rugrats Chanukah” does a pretty good job of laying out the story of Hanukkah. It hits all the major boxes: persecution under Antiochus, Judah and the Maccabees’ rebellion, the oil, and the always-present Jewish themes of forgiveness and empathy. Plus, Rugrats does all this in a funny, smart package. I’m in my mid-20s, and I still found myself laughing at Tommy’s promise that he’ll continue to study “the books our forefathers read, and our five-fathers, and our six-fathers.”

But simply getting the story of Hanukkah correct isn’t what makes “Rugrats Chanukah” the Jewish Miracle on 34th Street. Rugrats‘ holiday special was the first time many ’90s kids (including non-Jewish kids who tuned in for the night) were exposed to the history, practices, and themes of Hanukkah. When you’re that young — and I mean young: the series has a TV-Y rating, which describes shows aimed at children ages 2-6 — the things you see on TV have a lasting impact on your understanding of the world. Much like Miracle on 34th Street reinforces and informs kids’ expectations about Christmas, “Rugrats Chanukah” helped unify the many disparate themes and practices of Hanukkah into one coherent whole. In Rugrats, they make latkes, light multiple menorahs, forgive their rivals, make clay dreidel jokes, and create souped-up light shows (okay, maybe not this one), so naturally, I do the same.

These may seem like obvious Hanukkah things, but think about where you may have picked up the “Hanukkah is for latkes” information. Hebrew School? When the 25th day of Kislev (the first night of Hanukkah according to the Hebrew calendar) rolled around, we talked about the Maccabees and then watched “Rugrats Chanukah.” School? My public school’s Hanukkah programming consisted of making dreidels out of a marshmallow, pretzel stick, and Hershey’s kiss and… watching “Rugrats Chanukah.” Friends? Where do you think your friends learned that Jews make latkes “and sometimes donuts” (thanks, Didi Pickles) to remind us of the oil used in the Miracle of Lights?

There aren’t too many things we know for sure in Judaism, but this I’m certain of: “Rugrats Chanukah” is the standard-bearer of the holiday. If you haven’t already, settle in with a plate of latkes and watch the mid-90s classic this Hanukkah.

Watch "Rugrats Chanukah" on Hulu