Hanukkah is an important Jewish holiday celebrated around the world in remembrance of the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. This holiday serves to commemorate the defeat of Syrian-Greeks in the 2nd century BC and the miracle of the oil, which lasted for 8 days despite only containing enough oil to last for one day. A key question that many have is which president was the first to officially recognize Hanukkah.
The first president to officially acknowledge Hanukkah as a holiday was President Jimmy Carter in 1979. President Carter issued a proclamation on December 5, 1979 noting the importance of the holiday to Jewish organizations throughout the United States and including his “hope th[at] all Americans may join in the spirit of Hanukkah.” President Carter had been officially invited to the White House to light the National Menorah of the National Hanukkah Celebration, and he did so on December 13, 1979.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan continued the acknowledgment of Hanukkah as a holiday in the United States. On November 30th of that year, President Reagan declared the week of December 6th through the 13th to be Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights. He issued a proclamation noting the importance of the celebration and recognizing it as a holiday in the United States.
Since then, every president has issued a proclamation for the holiday of Hanukkah and has lit a ceremonial Menorah in commemoration of the occasion. During their terms in office, President Clinton released an official Hanukkah message, as well as lighting the National Menorah in the White House. President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama have also released official Hanukkah messages, and President Obama even created an official Chanukah Celebration at the White House every year.
In summary, President Jimmy Carter was the first president to officially recognize Hanukkah by issuing a proclamation in 1979. Every subsequent president has followed suit in the recognition of Hanukkah in their own way, either by issuing their own proclamation, lighting the National Menorah, or even creating an official Hanukkah celebration at the White House. These acts not only recognize the importance of Hanukkah as a holiday, but also serve to highlight the strong relationship between the United States and the Jewish community.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.