December 23, 2016

Tomorrow, December 24, at sunset, Jewish people around the world will begin celebrating Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights or Feast of Dedication. The Hebrew word Hanukkah (also Hannuka or Chanukah) means dedication. The dates of Hanukkah change from year to year, because the Jewish calendar is based on the cycles of the moon. Hannukah begins on the eve of the 25^th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which may include parts of November and December. The festival lasts for eight days and commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem to God by the Jews in 165 B.C.

A family lights the candles of a menorah for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Credit: © Shutterstock

Two Biblical books, 1 and 2 Maccabees, tell the story of Hanukkah. In the early 160’s B.C., the Jews in Jerusalem were subjects of the Seleucid Empire, one of the successor states formed out of Alexander the Great’s empire. The Bible tells how the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV, outlawed the practice of Jewish law and defiled the Temple in Jerusalem. Many Jews who defied Antiochus were killed. In 165 B.C., after a three-year revolt, Jews led by Judah Maccabee defeated Antiochus and rededicated the Temple to their God.

According to the Talmud, when the Jews cleaned the Temple, they found only one small bottle of oil with which to light their menorah (branched lamp). But the bottle miraculously provided enough oil for eight days. The Talmud is a collection of Jewish religious and civil laws and their interpretations. Today, lighting the menorah (also called a hanukkiyah) is a popular Hanukkah tradition. Modern menorahs generally have nine branches. On the first evening of Hanukkah, one candle is lighted. Beginning on the second night, one additional candle is lighted every night until the total reaches eight on the last night. The ninth branch of the menorah holds the shamash, or a “helper” candle used to light the other eight. Sometimes menorahs are displayed in windows as a way of publicizing the Hanukkah miracle. In some Jewish families, each person has a menorah. Some communities hold public menorah lighting ceremonies.

Another Hanukkah tradition is eating oily foods, in memory of the oil found in the Temple. Latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) are popular treats. Other customs include playing a low-stakes gambling game with a four-sided top called a dreidel and giving gelt (money or chocolate coins) to children. Four Hebrew letters on the sides of a dreidel stand for the saying “A great miracle happened there,” referring to the miracle of the oil and the menorah. In some families, giving gifts is customary during Hanukkah. This custom may have developed as a response to Christmas gift-giving in largely Christian areas.