Hanukkah is a Jewish festival celebrated worldwide to commemorate the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is a holiday that remembers when the ancient Jews were able to reclaim and rededicate their temple after experiencing oppression and a time of religious persecution. It falls on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev and usually starts at sundown on the evening of the 24th day of Kislev.
What Is Hanukkah and When Does It Start?
Hanukkah is an 8 day long Jewish holiday that is celebrated in remembrance of the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after it was freed from over two centuries of enslavement under the Seleucids. It is also known as The Festival of Lights or The Festival of Dedication, and is often celebrated with special prayers, festive meals, lighting a large menorah or Chanukiah, games, and gifts.
The Jewish lunar-based calendar, which is used to determine holidays like Hanukkah, is approximately 11 days shorter than the solar-based Gregorian calendar, meaning that the exact start date of Hanukkah changes from year to year - usually beginning in the month of November or December. Hanukkah starts every year on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, which is around the week of Thanksgiving in the US and the last week of December in Israel.
Celebrating Hanukkah
To celebrate Hanukkah, families often light a special candelabrum, known as the nine-branched menorah, or a modified menorah. The candles commemorate the mythical oil that lasted eight days and nights during the rededication of the Temple.
Other Hanukkah celebrations include the spinning of a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top, as well as exchanges of small gifts, usually edible treats like latkes and sufganiyot, as well as Hanukkah gelt — chocolate coins wrapped in gold or silver foil.
History of Hanukkah
Hanukkah is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays worldwide. Historically, Hanukkah is a relatively modern celebration as its origins date back to just over 2,000 years ago.
The Maccabees, a Jewish family from Galilee, led the struggle against the Greeks in a revolt known as the Maccabean Revolt, or the Miracle of Hanukkah. When their small band of warriors defeated the large army of the Greeks, the Temple in Jerusalem was reclaimed and rededicated to God – a moment of defiant victory and of hope.
At the forefront of victory in religious freedom, Hanukkah remains an important and much-loved holiday to this day. Jews around the world proudly continue to celebrate the festival with heartfelt pride and joy. While the importance of the holiday’s traditions and symbolism have evolved over the centuries, the core meaning of Hanukkah – the commemoration of human resilience – remain unchanged and deeply relevant.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.