Hanukkah

Hanukkah חג חנוכה

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Hanukkah

Hanukkah2

Section from Aramaic Scroll of Antiochus, April 2015

Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah or Hanukah) is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, which can occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar. Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights and the Feast of Dedication. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C., where Jews led by the Maccabees defeated the Syrian-Greeks who had desecrated the temple.

Origins and History

The origins of Hanukkah date back to 167 B.C., when the Jewish Temple was seized by Syrian-Greek soldiers and dedicated to the worship of the god Zeus. This led to the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. The Jewish rebel group, the Maccabees, regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. According to the Talmud, when they sought to relight the Temple's Menorah (candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Miraculously, the oil, which was enough for one day, burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.

Hanukkah Traditions and Customs

Hanukkah is celebrated with a series of rituals that are performed every day throughout the 8-day holiday. Some of these include:

• Lighting the Hanukkah menorah: A menorah (or Hanukkiah) is a nine-branched candelabrum. On each night of Hanukkah, a candle is lit by a shamash (auxiliary candle) until all eight candles are lit by the eighth night.
• Playing Dreidel: A popular Hanukkah game played with a four-sided spinning top called a dreidel, each side marked with a Hebrew letter: Nun, Gimel, Hei, and Shin, an acronym for "Nes Gadol Haya Sham" (A great miracle happened there).
• Eating fried foods: Foods fried in oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), are eaten to commemorate the miracle of the oil.
• Hanukkah gelt: Children often receive Hanukkah gelt, which are gifts of money, to teach them about charity and giving.

Significance

The significance of Hanukkah lies in its celebration of religious freedom and the miracle of the oil. It is a time for Jewish people to remember their ancestors' struggle against oppression and to celebrate the miracles in their lives.

Hanukkah in Modern Times

In modern times, Hanukkah has become a celebration not just for those of the Jewish faith but also for people of various backgrounds, often incorporating new traditions and ways of celebrating. While it is a minor Jewish holiday in religious terms, its proximity to Christmas has elevated its status in countries where Christmas is widely celebrated.

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