Hanukkah is a beautiful festival that commemorates a historical event, described as the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights or the Feast of Dedication.
It is observed for eight nights and days and the dates are different each year. The dates are determined by the Hebrew calendar, and the festival can occur any time between November 28 and December 27. This year Hanukkah began on the evening of December 25th and it continues for eight days and nights until January 2nd.
The Festival Story
We went to Chabad.org [LINK] for more information on the story upon which the celebration is created.
“Hanukkah (Chanukah) is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and is thus named because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple.
“In the second century BCE, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs instead of mitzvah observance and belief in G‑d. Against all odds, a small band of faithful but poorly armed Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G‑d.”
The Celebration
There is an inspiring story behind the Menorah, and we return to Chabad.org for that story:
“When they sought to light the Temple’s Menorah (the seven-branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks. Miraculously, they lit the menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
“To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah.
“At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting. The menorah holds nine flames, one of which is the shamash (“attendant”), which is used to kindle the other eight lights. On the first night, we light just one flame. On the second night, an additional flame is lit. By the eighth night of Chanukah, all eight lights are kindled.
“Special blessings are recited, often to a traditional melody, before the menorah is lit, and traditional songs are sung afterward.
“A menorah is lit in every household (or even by each individual within the household) and placed in a doorway or window. The menorah is also lit in synagogues and other public places. In recent years, thousands of jumbo menorahs have cropped up in front of city halls and legislative buildings, and in malls and parks all over the world.”
Other Hanukkah Festivities
Some of the other festivities taking place during the eight-day celebration include singing celebratory songs, eating oil-based foods such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods, playing the game of dreidel, and having public menorah lightings. Hanukkah is described as having major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere. The following is from Wikipedia [LINK].
“Originally instituted as a feast “in the manner of Sukkot (Booths)”, it does not come with the corresponding obligations, and is therefore a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms. Nevertheless, Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, due to often occurring around the same time as Christmas during the festive season.”
Happy Hanukkah to all celebrants!! May Love and Light fill your heart!
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