Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish celebration that has been celebrated for centuries, in honor of Jewish religious freedom and the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Every year from the 25th of Kislev, usually around the beginning of December, people celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah. During the Hanukkah celebrations, people light the special menorah, or candelabra, and recite special prayers. Feasting, gift-giving, games, and other activities help make the festival fun and exciting for everyone.
The word “Hanukkah” is derived from the Hebrew word “chanukah”, which means “dedication”. This is because it marks the rededication and liberation of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, which had been seized by forces of the Assyrian-Greek Empire that wished to impose their religious beliefs on the Jewish people. The celebration commemorates the courage and stubbornness of the Maccabees, led by Judah the Maccabee, as they fought and ultimately defeated their enemies, restoring the freedom of the Jewish people to practice their faith.
The Miracle Of Hanukkah
When the Maccabees finally reclaimed the Holy Temple, they prepared to rededicate it and re-enact the service, but they discovered that there was not enough oil to light the Menorah that was supposed to burn constantly. This oil was a single day’s supply, yet it miraculously burned for eight days, allowing more oil to be prepared to keep the flame alive. This miracle is celebrated every year at Hanukkah.
The Hanukkah Menorah
The Menorah is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Hanukkah celebration. It is a nine-branched candleholder, usually lit with eight candles, one for each night of the celebration. The ninth branch is known as the “servant”. It is called the “Shamash” and is used to light the other eight candles. Every night during Hanukkah, one additional candle is lit until all eight are burning brightly.
Celebrating Hanukkah
In honor of the Miracle of Hanukkah, many Jewish families celebrate by lighting the menorah, feasting on traditional food, exchanging gifts, and playing games like dreidel, which is a game of chance played with a four-sided spinning top.
- Light the menorah – Place a menorah, either homemade or purchased, in a noticeable spot and light a candle from right to left each night
- Enjoy traditional foods – Serve food like latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyah (jelly doughnuts), bimuelos (fried pastries made from yeast dough and honey), and cheesecake, which all represent some aspect of Hanukkah
- Share gifts – Family and friends often exchange small gifts, trinkets, or gelt (coins) traditionally associated with Hanukkah
- Play dreidel – A four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side that stands for “a great miracle happened here”
Hanukkah is a joyous celebration for Jews all over the world, and its importance goes well beyond being just an enjoyable holiday. Hanukkah is a reminder of our right to follow our faith freely, a testament to the power of belief, and a symbol of hope in the ultimate triumph of justice and morality.
Thanks to the Maccabees’ courage and tenacity, and to the miracle of the oil, the Jewish people can still practice their faith and celebrate the Festival of Lights.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.