Hanukkah is an important Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated in the form of an eight-day festival of lights and joy, with one candle lit each night for the duration of the holiday. It is customary to exchange gifts and feast on traditional foods during the Hanukkah season. But when was Hanukkah first celebrated?
Hanukkah is believed to have been first celebrated in the 2nd century BC. The occasion commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Hasmonean Dynasty, a Jewish sect that was victorious in a battle with the much larger Syrian-Greeks.
The original decree allowing Jews the right to practice their faith in their homeland was issued by the Maccabees, a term given to the Hasmonean Dynasty. This event is believed to have occurred in 165 BC, but the first celebration of the festival occurred when King Antiochus authorized the rededication of the Temple in 164 BCE.
To celebrate, Jews lit an eight-branched candelabrum known as a ‘menorah’, with eight lights representing the eight-day struggle for freedom against the Syrians. This menorah is now one of the Jewish people’s most recognizable symbols and is lit each night for the duration of Hanukkah.
At Hanukkah, gifts were also exchanged, as well as various traditional foods associated with the holiday. Sufganiyot (fried doughnuts), Latkes (fried potato pancakes) and Jelly Doughnuts are often enjoyed.
Hanukkah is an important holiday for many Jews around the world and is observed by both traditionalists and secularists alike. The message of the holiday is one of hope, courage, and perseverance that resonates with all kinds of people. The story behind it is living proof that in the face of great odds, a desire for freedom can survive and thrive. Celebrating the occasion has done the same for centuries, and we can all look to it as an example of how unity, diversity, and faith will always prevail in the end.
Today, Hanukkah is celebrated from the twenty-fifth of Kislev to the second or third of Tevet depending on the year. It serves as a reminder of a distant, but still relevant time in history that can inform decisions and inspire actions today.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.