In December of every year, Jews observe a festival called Hanukkah. It is a joyous holiday, celebrating the first great victory for religious freedom won by the Jews more than two thousand years ago. more »
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In December of every year, Jews observe a festival called Hanukkah. It is a joyous holiday, celebrating the first great victory for religious freedom won by the Jews more than two thousand years ago. more »
Hanukkah is celebrated with many different traditions. Displaying decorations is a way to symbolize the significance behind the Jewish holiday. Menorahs, dreidels and wreaths are some of the most popular. more »
Hanukkah is the festival of lights that is celebrated by the Jewish faith for eight days. It symbolizes the time in Jewish history when oil that should only have burned for one night lasted eight nights. Unlike most holidays celebrated with one big feast, Hanukkah spans eight nights, providing more get-togethers and the need for more... more »
Tell a non-Jewish kid about Hanukkah, and watch his eyes light up: “You get presents for eight days in a row? What an awesome deal!” However, there are very few Jewish households where kids receive eight Christmas-sized presents for eight days running. Usually, the gift-giving protocol skews one of two ways: a big (Christmas-grade)... more »
Lighting the Hanukkah menorah at sundown is a hallmark tradition of the holiday. For each of the eight nights of Hanukkah an additional candle is added to the menorah until all the candles are blazing on the last night of Hanukkah. Every night prior to the lighting of the candles families recite the Hanukkah blessings. There are three... more »
Dust off the menorah and give the dreidel a spin for Hanukkah. Celebrate all eight days the...
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Hanukkah, also called the Festival of Lights, offers plenty of opportunities to decorate home, office and school, from table centerpieces to... more »
The celebration of Hanukkah doesn't require any special attire, although many people choose to dress in traditional garments to celebrate the... more »
Most people enjoy the chance to tell a joke, even if it's at their own expense. In fact, the funniest joke to tell is often the one that pokes fun... more »
Hanukkah is the legend of how 1 day's oil was used to satisfy 8 days needs--history's best example "Going Green." This legend can be honored by... more »
Hanukkah, which literally means "rededication", is also known as "The Festival of Lights." This Jewish holiday traditionally starts on the 25th of... more »
Hanukkah (, , also spelled Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.
The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra light called a shamash (Hebrew: "guard" or "servant") is also lit each night for the purpose of lighting the others, and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest.
Origins of the holiday
From the Hebrew word for "dedication" or "consecration", marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the forces of Antiochus IV and commemorates the "miracle of the container of oil". According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.
Hanukkah is also mentioned in the deuterocanonical books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. 1 Maccabees states: "For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. Then Judah and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the rededication... should be observed... every year... for eight days. (1 Mac. 4:56–59)" According to 2 Maccabees, "the Jews celebrated joyfully for eight days as on the feast of Booths."
The martyrdom of Hannah and her seven sons has also been linked to Hanukkah. According to the Talmudic storyTalmud Gittin 57 read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah
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