This year the festival of Hanukkah will start on the evening of Thursday, 10th of December, 2020. A holiday often celebrated for around eight days, Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a noted Jewish occasion that celebrates the victory of the Jews over Antiochus IV of the Seleucid Empire. This year Hanukkah is celebrated later in the United States than it is in other countries.
Hanukkah’s origin dates back to the second century BC. When a group of Jewish freedom fighters, called the Maccabees, defeated Antiochus IV and re-instated a Second Temple in Jerusalem. It was, however, only after a long war that lasted approximately three years that the temple was purified and rededicated.
To commemorate this victory and make it special, a miraculous miracle occurred in the form of an oil lasting for eight days, when it was supposed to last only one day. To commemorate this, Jews celebrate the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah known as “the festival of lights”.
The first day of Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting a menorah, also known as the Hanukkiyah, with the help of a new candle every night of Hanukkah. Candles are lit by a special nine-branched menorah, representing the amount of oil which surprisingly lit the Menorah for eight days in the temple. To accentuate the importance of the festival, a dreidel is played.
During each day of Hanukkah, it is customary to enjoy a range of traditional foods such as potato latkes, sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), and other delicious dishes. Additionally, it is customary to exchange gifts, although not financially obligated like in other holidays.
Hanukkah is a time for celebration and reflection and can be a source of joy and hope. Regardless of nationality, creed, or religion, this eight-day holiday serves to remind us to display strength and resilience in the face of adversity. Hanukkah, whose story of faith and hope is echoed throughout time, stands today as a beacon of light during the darkness of winter.
In the United States this year, Hanukkah will begin on the evening of Thursday, 10th of December, 2020 and will end on the evening of Friday, 18th of December, 2020. It is a special time of year to remember the Jewish people’s triumph over hundreds of years ago and to show appreciation for the many blessings in our lives today.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.