Hanukkah
What is Hanukkah...
The Jewish Festival of Rededication, also called the Festival of Lights.
Hanukkah, also referred to as Chanukah, celebrates the rededication of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
When Is Hanukkah...
...and How Did It Start
Hanukkah falls in December in the Gregorian calendar. (In 2021, Hanukkah is November 28 through December 6.) Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. This group of Jews are known as the Maccabees. The name was formed from the first letters of a Hebrew phrase, “Mi Kamocha Ba’eilim Hashem,” which can be translated as “Who is like You, God.”
The holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games, and gifts.
Who Celebrates Hanukkah...
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival. Jews across the world engage in the festival.
Things To Remember...
Light the menorah!
Each night of Hanukkah, use the “shamash” or head candle to light one of the eight candles in the menorah, so by the last night of Hanukkah, all eight candles are burning!
Give some gelt!
Gold-foil-wrapped chocolate coins known gelt are traditional Hanukkah treats. The tradition harkens back to the Maccabees producing their own money after defeating the Greeks.
Play dreidel!
A dreidel is a traditional four-sided spinning toy. Each side has a Hebrew letter on it: “nun" means do nothing; "shin" means you put one in; "he" means you get half of what's in the middle; and "gimel” means you get the whole pot. You may play with gelt or with real money for a fun time!
History Of The Holiday...
Hanukkah commemorates a historical event that took place in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE, when the Seleucid Greek empire was the ruling power in the area. In 168 BCE, the king Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed Jewish practice and defiled the Jewish Temple by installing an altar to Zeus Olympios and sacrificing pigs.
A small army of Jews, known as the Maccabees, rebelled against this. They regained control over the Temple, removed the symbols of Zeus and built a new altar so they could once again offer sacrifices in keeping with Jewish law.
