Hanukkah marks the pre-biblical victory of a group of Jews known as the Maccabees over the Syrian-Greek rulers of Jerusalem in 167BC - and a miracle that followed it. “Despite not being mentioned in the Torah”, Hanukkah is often described as “one of the most highly anticipated and joyous Jewish festivals of the entire year”, according to The Independent.Īlso known as the “Festival of Lights”, the event “tells the story of the Maccabees, an army of rebels in Israel who revolted against the Seleucid Greek King Antiochus, who was trying to kill all the Jewish people”, the paper added. So what is Hanukkah and how is it celebrated? Origins When is Passover 2020 and how will it be celebrated?.Purim 2020: what is the Jewish holiday and how is it celebrated?.Instead, much of the merriment will take place from a distance, from virtual menorah lightings to drive-thru festivities. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to disrupt Hanukkah celebrations across the world, but not even a pandemic can extinguish this festival dedicated to the miracle of light. Songs are sung, and gifts are exchanged to commemorate the miracle in the Temple more than 2,000 years ago. During the lighting, people recite special blessings and prayers. On each successive night, one more candle is added and lit. For eight nights, candles are lit in a menorah, a candelabrum with spaces for nine candles-one for each night plus a “servant” candle called the shamash (shammes in Yiddish). Today Hanukkah is celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev (the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar), which typically falls in late November to mid-December. Photograph by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette/AP Some may celebrate at home, while others, like these children in Colorado Springs, may light the menorah during Hanukkah services at their local synagogue. Hanukkah, writes Tatjana Lichtenstein, director of the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, “offered an opportunity for Jews to participate in the holiday celebrations complete with gift-giving and merry-making without giving up their distinct religious and cultural identities.” ( Why Judaism’s holiest day is actually Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.)Įvery night of Hanukkah, one more candle is lit in the menorah. How Hanukkah is celebratedĪlthough it is traditionally a fairly minor religious holiday, Hanukkah grew popular in the 20th century due to its proximity to Christmas. But it burned for eight days-enough time for the victorious Judeans to secure more oil-and the miracle became the foundation of a beloved holiday to thank God and celebrate the victory of light over darkness. According to the Talmud (one of Judaism’s holy texts), the Seleucids left only one intact vial of oil, just enough to light the Temple’s candelabrum for one day. Hanukkah, which means “dedication,” commemorates the miracle of light that occurred when Judah rededicated the Temple to the Hebrew god. The revolt of the Maccabees, as it came to be known, continued on and ultimately drove the Seleucids from Judea in 160. In 164, Judah won back Jerusalem and restored the Temple, cleansing and rededicating it. After Mattathias’s death in 166 B.C., his son Judah the Maccabee (the “Hammer”) took his father’s place in the fight and led the Jewish people in many victories over the Seleucids. Horrified by the Temple desecration and cruelty toward the Jewish people, a priest named Mattathias and his sons rose up in rebellion.
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