Hanukkah is an eight-day festival of lights that celebrates the miraculous victory of the Maccabees over the Greek rulers in ancient Israel. It’s a time of feasting, gift-giving, and decorating. Jews around the world commemorate this victory by lighting Hanukkah candles and sharing special holiday foods. An important part of the celebration of Hanukkah is determining when it begins and ends.
Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Jewish lunar calendar month of Kislev, and lasts for eight days. Kislev is a variable month that can have from 29 to 30 days, making it difficult to determine when Hanukkah starts each year. In Israel, it starts on the 25th day of the month, regardless of when that day falls in the Gregorian calendar. In the Diaspora, however,Hanukkah is usually observed from the evening of the 24th day of Kislev on the Gregorian calendar.On the Hebrew calendar, the holiday ends in the evening of the 2nd day of Tevet. Tevet is the ninth month of the Jewish lunar calendar, and usually corresponds to December or January on the Gregorian calendar. Since Hanukkah is observed for eight days, the festival ends in the evening of the 2nd day of Tevet.
Lighting Hanukkah Candles
On the first night of Hanukkah, one candle is lit, and an additional candle is lit each night for the following seven nights. The ninth candle, called a shamash or servant, is lit first each night and is used to light the other candles. The festival is concluded with a Hallel, a special set of prayers that include Psalms 113 to 118.
Havdalah Service
The conclusion of every Jewish holiday is marked with the Havdalah service, which marks the end of the holiday and the transition to the new week. The Havdalah service includes lighting a special candle with multiple wicks, smelling spices, blessing the wine, and reciting blessings. The service for Hanukkah is performed on the evening of the 8th day.
Hanukkah is a joyous and important holiday in the Jewish faith, and it is commemorated with ceremonies, traditions, and recipes that are all unique to the holiday. This eight-day celebration is observed each year in the winter, and is marked by the lighting of the Hanukkah candles, which culminates with the Havdalah service to mark the end of the festivities.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.