What Is the Meaning of Chanukah?
The word Chanukah or Hanukkah means rededication, in the case of the holiday rededication of the temple after the Maccabees' victory over the Greek-Syrians. It is an eight-day long Jewish holiday that is also called the Festival of Lights. Chanukah is the Romanized version of the word Hanukkah. The term Hanukkah is used more commonly than the word Chanukah. Does this Spark an idea?
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Historical Meaning
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After the Maccabees, a Jewish rebel army, had ousted the oppressive Greek-Syrian army they purified and rededicated the Temple of Jerusalem since it had been defiled by the invaders. Hanukkah is celebrated on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev in memory of this occasion. The date fluctuates each year since the Hebrew calendar is different from the Gregorian calendar.
When the Maccabees entered the temple they discovered that there was only enough oil to light the temple menorah for one day. They lit it anyway and a miracle happened. The lamps burned continuously for eight days until more oil could be brought to the temple. That is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days.
Spiritual Meaning
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The spiritual meaning of Hanukkah is one of faith in God; in remaining true to one's traditional beliefs even when forbidden to do so by the authorities and is a story about the courage of the Maccabees. They risked their lives and won against all odds because they believed in the courage of their convictions.
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The Menorah
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One candle is lit each day on the chanukiah. Each evening of Hanukkah one of the candles on the menorah is lit to remember the miracle of the oil. The Hanukkah menorah is also called a chanukiah and it has nine branches. The ninth branch is elevated above the others and is known as the shamash or service candle. A menorah with a shamash may only be used during Hanukkah.
The chanukiah is usually placed in a window where it can be viewed from the outside so that passers-by can see it and reflect on the story of Hanukkah. Each night, the family gathers around while a candle is lit and a blessing is recited to remember God's faithfulness to his people.
Gift Giving
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The gift-giving tradition of Hanukkah has evolved out of the Jewish tradition of giving "gelt" or money to children if they could correctly answer questions about the meaning of Hanukkah. Nowadays, children are often given gifts instead of money.
There is a symbolism associated with the giving of gelt (gelt is a Yiddish term that means money). After their victory over the Greek-Syrians, the Jews were permitted to mint their own money; hence the coins or gelt refers to this hard-won freedom. It further reminds people to be charitable and share with those in need.
Games
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Dreidel playing is part of Hanukkah. A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top decorated with a Hebrew letter on each side. It is a very important part of Hanukkah and is one of the symbols of the Jewish victory over the Greeks.
Under the Greek-Syrians, the Jews were prohibited from studying the Torah, so they had to study their Holy book in secret. Rabbis would set children outside to watch while inside, Jewish elders would be secretly studying their traditions and customs. When the soldiers would see the children playing with their dreidels, they would assume that the Jews were following orders and would depart. Hence, in this way, the dreidel helped to preserve Jewish culture and became part of the Hanukkah tradition.
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References
- Photo Credit hanukah image by robert lerich from Fotolia.com silver menorah image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com dreidel. image by diligent from Fotolia.com
