L'Chaim, everyone! December 12th is the first day of Chanukah 2017. Families will be gathering together to light the menorah, exchange gifts, and eat lots of amazing food. Regardless of what holidays you observe, laughter plays an important role in these family celebrations.

Over the next eight nights, Jews will commemorate the Maccabees and their rededication of the temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. Games of dreidel will be played and chocolate gelt will be passed out.

During all of this quality family time, you may need a good laugh to help diffuse the tension. To help you kick off your Chanukah festivities with a smile, we've gathered 10 funny Hanukkah memes for this Jewish festival of lights.

1. Latkes (or potato pancakes) are fried in oil to commemorate the oil in the menorah in the Second Temple in Jerusalem which kept burning for seven days.

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2. Just pretend that Star Wars: The Force Awakens never happened.

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3. Try not to get this song stuck in your head today. It's impossible. Unfortunately, for many gentiles, this song was their first explanation of many Hanukkah traditions.

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4. Other traditional foods eaten during Chanukah 2017 are sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts), brisket, short ribs and noodle kugel.

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5. During the time of the Maccabees, Jewish children were forbidden to study the Torah. When government officials would check up on them, children would pull out spinning tops and pretend to play.

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6. Don't forget to include your four-legged family members in your Chanukah 2017 celebrations. (Although you may want to keep them away from the latkes.)

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7. During Hanukkah celebrations, Jews use the menorah to remember the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The word "Hanukkah" actually means "rededication" in Hebrew.

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8. This episode of the comedy Friends (and this Hanukkah meme) is classic. It's amazing that the holiday armadillo didn't catch on as a Chanukah tradition.

https://imgur.com/gallery/nxqLF6G

9. This is true for so many people who grew up in the 1990s. The Pickles family taught many children about the traditions of Hanukkah.

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10. Candles on the menorah are placed from right to left. However, they are lit from left to right as a way to acknowledge each new night of Hanukah.

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