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Hanukkah
The festival of lights, as it is often called, is a celebration of both Jewish spiritual values and the triumph of the Jews over the armies of Antiochus IV.
984 Questions
What is the name of the seven-candle holder for Hanukkah?
It is called a Menorah. It has seven candles because that was the number of oil lamps on the menorah in the Holy Temple (Exodus ch.25).
The Hanukkah-menorah has eight candles because that was the number of days of the miracle with the oil.
How many candles do you need in total to celebrate Hanukkah?
Hanukkah lasts 8 days. 44 candles are needed.
Is Hanukkah celebrated on the same day each year?
Yes it is.
Hanukkah always starts on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, and lasts for eight days. The Hebrew calendar does not line up with the western calendar because it has a completely different leap year system that can shift holidays each year by to 11-28 days.
Here are the coinciding secular dates for the upcoming years. The candle lightings begin on the evening BEFORE the first date:
2011: December 20-28
2012: December 8-16
2013: November 27-December 5
2014: December 16-24
2015: December 6-14
From a Wiki contributor:The Jews. But no single person is identified as the inventor.
Jewish Answer:
Hanukkah was instituted by a special decree of the Jewish Sages (Talmud, Shabbat 21b). After several victories over the Greeks, the Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) entered the Holy Temple which the Greeks had defiled, reconsecrated it to God, and began the Temple service once more.
Among other things, they wanted to relight the olive oil candelabrum (Exodus ch.25), but could only find one day's supply of undefiled oil - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought. Hanukkah was founded in commemoration of this.
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Why do people say blessings on Hanukkah?
Actually, Jews say 2 blessings at Hanukkah. The first one goes Barukh atah adonai, eloheynu melekh ha-olam, asher kidshanu bemitzvotav, vitzivanu, l'had lik-ner, Shel Hanukkah. This translates to "Blessed are you, O God, ruler of the universe, who commands us to light the candles of Hanukkah." The second blessing means "Blessed are you, O God, ruler of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors." The Hebrew goes Barukh atah adonai, eloheynu melekh ha-olam, she'asah nisim l'avotenu, bayamim, ha-heim baziman hazeh.
Why do symbols represent Hanukkah?
It doesn't. The star of David is the symbol of Judaism, while Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday.
In the history behind the holiday, the Holy Temple was overrun by the Syrian-Greeks (2nd century BCE). After the Hasmoneans (a religious Jewish group) ousted the Syrian-Greeks, there was only enough oil to light the menorah of the Temple (Exodus ch.25) for one day, but a miracle occurred and it lasted for 8 days. This miracle is symbolized by the eight candles of the hannukah menorah. An extra (9th) candle is used to light the other eight.
As for why the star of David became a symbol of Judaism, that's an entirely different question and one subject to much debate.
The star itself dates back to early Arabic and African tribes which used it as a symbol of luck and prosperity. Some claim it was the symbol on King David's shield but there does not appear to be historical proof to back this claim.
In the middle ages there was a time when Jews were forced to wear physical marks and various forms of stars and shapes became common depending on the region they were living. By the late 1800's the star of David had grown to be the most common symbol to represent Judaism, but the modern usage of the star itself dates back less than 500 years in historical records as a common Jewish symbol.
The two most recognized events to cement the star in recent Jewish history were the founding of the Zionist movement in 1897 (which used the symbol publicly to mark their places of assembly) and the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 (which put the star on their flag).
What was the first day of Hanukkah in 2004?
Hanukkah in 2008 starts December 21st at night when the first candle is lit. The first day is December 22 and it runs through December 29th.
The narrative of the miracle with the oil.
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up sacrifices to the idol. One of the leading elder Jewish sages called upon the people to keep observing the Torah anyway; and if necessary, to use force in resisting the decrees. When a Hellenized Jew offered a sacrifice to the Greek idols in a nearby village, the sage killed him as well as the Greek overseer. This brought a violent reaction from the Greeks; and the loyal Jews, led by the Hasmonean family, were forced to retreat from their towns and strike out at the Greeks in an attempt to oust them from the Holy Land and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Torah-Jews were heavily outnumbered by the attacking Greek armies, but God gave them miraculous victories again and again. After three years of struggle, the Greek armies retreated from Jerusalem, and the Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) entered the Holy Temple which the Greeks had defiled, reconsecrated it to God, and began the Temple service once more. Among other things, they wanted to relight the olive oil candelabrum (Exodus ch. 25), but could only find one day's supply of undefiled oil - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought. The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence was still there. The Torah-community was overjoyed, because God's presence meant everything to them.
This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil. It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."
What are they celebrating on Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is a minor holiday that commemorates the victory of the Jews against the Syrian-Greeks in the Maccabean War of 165 BCE.
The real miracle of Hanukkah is that the Jews were victorious, against all odds, they beat their enemy and were able to restore the Ancient Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by the Greeks. In a larger context, Hanukkah represents victory against religious persecution and assimilation.
But a second miracle is more commonly known: A story in the Talmud (500 years later) tells of a legendary miracle. After the war, When the Jews returned to rededicate the Ancient Temple, they found that there was only enough oil to keep the eternal lamp burning for 1 day. It would take 8 days to make more of this special oil. So theי lit the lamp, and it miraculously burned for 8 days, giving them plenty of time to make more oil to keep the lamp burning.
This second miracle is very popular with children. It is understood as a legend only, and appears to be the early Rabbis' attempt to add a spiritual level to the holiday.
Answer:The above answer is non-traditional. Our tradition is that the miracle of the oil did indeed occur and isn't just a legend. If it wasn't for the clear tradition of our Sages, Hanukkah would have been forgotten long ago. Moreover, on Hanukkah the chief celebration is not for the military victory; it's for the miracle of the oil (Talmud, Shabbat 21b). As an augmentation to the celebration of that miracle, we also thank God during Hanukkah for the Hasmoneans' military victory (during which they ousted the Seleucids and their lackeys, the Hellenizing Jews, making possible the rededication of the Temple).The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices in Judea, such as Sabbath-observance, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. The Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah.
When they reached the Temple grounds and prepared to light the oil lamps of the Temple's menorah (Exodus ch.25), they found only one day's supply of unsullied olive oil. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.
The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence still dwelt in the Holy Temple. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
The eight-day rededication of the Temple is also mentioned in the book of Maccabees (I, 4:36; and II, 1:18); and Josephus mentions the eight-day festival in Antiquities ch.12.
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil, just as we have no special occasion to mark Abraham's victory (Genesis ch.14), or those of Moses (Numbers ch.21), Joshua, Deborah (Judges ch.4), Gideon (Judges ch.6-7), Jephthah (Judges ch.11), or King David. And though the Hasmonean battles continued for two decades after the retaking of the Temple, the Sages instituted Hanukkah immediately after the miracle of the oil.
It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."
What does the menorah represent for Chanukah?
The original Menorah was lit in the Temple (Exodus ch.25). It had 7 branches, one for each day of the week.
the Chanukiah (Hanukkah-menorah) is the 8-branched version of the Menorah. It is lit on Chanukkah to publicize the miracle of the Maccabees and the oil of the Menorah miraculously burning for 8 days.
Many Orthodox families still use oil, though regular candles are also good.
my custom is to light the normal candles from oil (if possible) and the Shamas from wax.
Do they celebrate Hanukkah in the Anne Frank book?
Yes, her diary records a Hanukkah celebration, and it's also one of the oldest references to gift-giving on Hanukkah, which apparently began in Europe, in the 1930's.
Where did the hanukkah menorah originate?
In Israel. The Hanukkah-menorah is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah in the Tabernacle (Exodus ch.25). Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days of the festival, and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Jewish Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up sacrifices to the idol. One of the leading elder Jewish sages called upon the people to keep observing the Torah anyway; and if necessary, to use force in resisting the decrees.When a Hellenized Jew offered a sacrifice to the Greek idols in a nearby village, the sage killed him as well as the Greek overseer. This brought a violent reaction from the Greeks; and the loyal Jews, led by the Hasmonean family, were forced to retreat from their towns and strike out at the Greeks in an attempt to oust them from the Holy Land and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Torah-Jews were heavily outnumbered by the attacking Greek armies, but God gave them miraculous victories again and again.
After three years of struggle, the Greek armies retreated from Jerusalem, and the Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) entered the Holy Temple which the Greeks had defiled, reconsecrated it to God, and began the Temple service once more.
Among other things, they wanted to relight the olive oil candelabrum (Exodus ch.25), but could only find one day's supply of undefiled oil - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.
The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence was still there. The Torah-community was overjoyed, because God's presence meant everything to them. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah-Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil. Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil.
It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "The Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."
See also:
How do you exchange gifts in Hanukkah?
Some families exchange presents, and some do not. Gift giving is most common among American and Canadian Jews, but it's a custom that only started a few decades ago due to influence from Christmas.
If gifts are exchanged, they are usually given each night during the 8 nights of the holiday. There is no rule about how many presents are given each night, but it is often 1 per night.
It is more traditional to give money or chocolate coins than gifts.
What is another name for the Jewish 'Festival of Lights'?
Another name for the "Festival of Lights" is Hanukkah.
Which candle is the tallest on the menorah?
The middle candle on the Menorah is called a Shamash - with the "a" being pronounced as in "father" and the stress being on the last syllable - [shaMASH].
However, it needn't be the middle candle - sometimes the shamash is at the end of the row and sometimes next to it.
Customary configurations would include:
xxxxSxxxx
Sxxxxxxxx or xxxxxxxxS
xxxxxxxx
......S
Some people have the custom of having 2 Shamash candles for each menorah.
What are Hanukkah's traditional colors?
There are no traditional colors for Hanukkah.
But because of Influence by Christmas (namely the fact the Christmas has traditional colors), Jewish people took the colors of the Israeli Flag (blue and white) and made them Hanukkah colors. But this practice is only about 40 years old.
Why does a Hanukkah menorah have nine candles?
There is a candle for each night of the holiday plus an extra one called the "shamash", meaning "attendant". That's the one you use to light the other candles each night.
Technically, you're not allowed to use the Chanukah lights for personal benefit (eg. reading) so the "shamash" is also there to use in case of emergency (eg. a blackout).
Answer:
There are eight candles to commemorate the eight days of the miracle (plus a ninth candle which is used for the reasons given above). Here is the background information:
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices in Judea, such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) were miraculously victorious. When they reached the Temple grounds, they immediately reconsecrated it to God. As part of this action, they relit the Menorah (Exodus ch.25), which was fueled with olive oil. However, it soon became apparent that there was only sufficient oil to keep the candelabra burning for one single day - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.
The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence still dwelt in the Holy Temple. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)
TThe Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil. It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."
Eight days, from the evening on December 24 to the late afternoon on January 1. Because December 24 will be a Shabbat, the first Hanukkah candle is lit after twilight. On weekday nights, the nightly candles may be lit earlier.
See also:
What Jewish holiday is celebrated during Christmas.?
None. There is no Jewish holiday that is specifically celebrated during Christmas. Hanukkah SOMETIMES coincides with Christmas, but not always.
Hanukkah starts on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, and lasts for eight days. Here are the coinciding secular dates for the upcoming years:
2011: December 20-28
2012: December 8-16
2013: November 27-December 5
2014: December 16-24
2015: December 6-14
When does the last Hanukkah candle get lit?
=On the last night of Hanukkah their are 8 candles burning.==However, you have to add one extra candle called the "shamash" which is a candle higher than all and you use the "shamash" to light every candle from left to right. they are lit to commemorate the Hanukkah miracles.=
Where was the dreidel created?
Dreidels or spinning tops have been used by many different cultures throughout the centuries. No one knows who came up with the original toy. The dreidel that we play with during Channukah came out of Eastern Europe in more modern times.
Is Hanukkah the most sacred day of the Jewish year?
It's one of the minor Jewish holidays (not the most holy), and it is an 8-day celebration of the miracle of the oil.
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up sacrifices to the idol. One of the leading elder Jewish sages called upon the people to keep observing the Torah anyway; and if necessary, to use force in resisting the decrees.
When a Hellenized Jew offered a sacrifice to the Greek idols in a nearby village, the sage killed him as well as the Greek overseer. This brought a violent reaction from the Greeks; and the loyal Jews, led by the Hasmonean family, were forced to retreat from their towns and strike out at the Greeks in an attempt to oust them from the Holy Land and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Torah-Jews were heavily outnumbered by the attacking Greek armies, but God gave them miraculous victories again and again.
After three years of struggle, the Greek armies retreated from Jerusalem, and the Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) entered the Holy Temple which the Greeks had defiled, reconsecrated it to God, and began the Temple service once more. Among other things, they wanted to relight the olive oil candelabrum (Exodus ch. 25), but could only find one day's supply of undefiled oil - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.
The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence was still there. The Torah-community was overjoyed, because God's presence meant everything to them. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation). The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs. (The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah.
Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.) The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil. It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "The Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes." .
What do Jewish people light during Chanukah?
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up sacrifices to the idol. One of the leading elder Jewish sages called upon the people to keep observing the Torah anyway; and if necessary, to use force in resisting the decrees. When a Hellenized Jew offered a sacrifice to the Greek idols in a nearby village, the sage killed him as well as the Greek overseer. This brought a violent reaction from the Greeks; and the loyal Jews, led by the Hasmonean family, were forced to retreat from their towns and strike out at the Greeks in an attempt to oust them from the Holy Land and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Torah-Jews were heavily outnumbered by the attacking Greek armies, but God gave them miraculous victories again and again. After three years of struggle, the Greek armies retreated from Jerusalem, and the Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) entered the Holy Temple which the Greeks had defiled, reconsecrated it to God, and began the Temple service once more. Among other things, they wanted to relight the olive oil candelabrum (Exodus ch. 25), but could only find one day's supply of undefiled oil - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought. The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence was still there. The Torah-community was overjoyed, because God's presence meant everything to them.
This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil. It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "The Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."
