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An Early Hannukah Wish…

Hannukah begins on the 26th of December this year, and on the 16th of December next year. Unfortunately, my spiffy header image got confused and changed today, the 16th, rather than the 26th. Kapeesh. In other words, I’ll be spot on next year, but this year I’m 10 days early.

Oh well, it gives me a chance to check Wikipedia and give a little background on Hannukah, for those unfamiliar, such as myself.

Hanukkah (×—× ×›×” ḥănukkāh, or ×—× ×•×›×” ḥănÅ«kkāh) is a Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of lights. Hanukkah is a Hebrew word meaning “dedication”. (It also has other spellings in English, such as Chanukah, Hannukah, Hanukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Hanuka, Channukah, Hanukka, Hanaka, Haneka, Hanika and Khanukkah.)

Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, and the holiday is celebrated for eight days. Since in Jewish tradition the Hebrew calendar date starts at sunset, the first evening of Hanukkah starts after the sunset of the 24th of Kislev. This is usually the evening before the date shown for the first day of Hanukkah on the Gregorian calendars that include it. The start of Hanukkah usually falls in December but occasionally is in late November.

Always an important holiday to religious Jews, Hanukkah gained unusual importance with many assimilated secular Jewish families in twentieth century America, who did not consider themselves religious, yet wanted an alternative to Christmas celebrations that often coincide with Hanukkah.

Hanukkah commemorates two main historical events:

1. The triumph of Judaism’s spiritual values as embodied in its Torah (symbolized by the Menorah) over Hellenistic civilization which had attempted to Hellenize (culturally assimilate) the Jews away from practicing Judaism’s commandments.

2. The victory of the ancient Jewish Hasmoneans over the Grecian Seleucid Empire when Judah Maccabee and his brothers defeated overwhelming forces and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem, almost two centuries before the common era. However, because Jews do not glorify war and because of Judaism’s dislike for the Hasmonean later ungodly behavior, the holiday has never emphasized these military aspects but has concentrated on celebrating the rededication and the associated miracle of the Hanukah lights as described in the Talmud (see below)

The festival is observed in Jewish homes by the kindling of special Hanukkah lights on each of the festival’s eight nights.

Tags: hannukah, jewish, holiday, talmud, festival, lights

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