Hanukkah
Kelley Patterson
Rel/134
July 24, 2013
Mr. Traffanstedt

Hanukkah If a person is not Jewish then they may not understand or even know what Hanukkah is. I assumed like most people that Hanukkah was like the Jewish Christmas. After researching this holiday I have found that it is nothing like Christmas. So this leaves some people asking what Hanukkah is and what makes it so special? In this paper I will discuss the historical origin, the meaning of the day, when it takes place, and the activities that go along with the celebration of Hanukkah. This story of the Jews and Hanukkah dates back to a rocky time in the history of the Jews. It begins when the Jew’s was in the territory of Israel, which was governed by Syria, during this time under Antiochus III ruling, they always had been allowed to freely follow their customs until Antiochus IV Epiphanes became ruler in 175BCE. Antiochus IV forbid the Jewish religion and forced the Jews to worship the Greek Gods. Antiochus increasingly persecuted the Jews throughout his reign. The Jews were killed in large numbers, their temple in Jerusalem was vandalized, and in 167 BCE an alter to Zeus was built inside the temple, this angered the Jews and at this point they decided to fight back. A priest named Mattathias and his sons, who included Judah Maccabee, led the battle against Antiochus. Although they were greatly out numbered, they won the fight. Upon the return to their temple, they discovered it had been destroyed and that repairs would have to be made. To complete the repairs they needed light. The menorah was supposed to burn all night, every night. The brothers discovered they had only a one day supply of oil and when they lit the menorah it burned for eight days, which was enough time to prepare additional oil. This was a miracle for the Jews and by 165 BCE they could rededicate the Temple to the Hebrew God. Hanukkah symbolizes this miracle by lighting a candle on eight successive nights. So many people still ask what is Hanukkah? Hanukkah is known as the “Festival of Lights” or the “Festival of Rededication” it is a Jewish holiday celebrated from the 25th day of the Jewish month Kislev to the 2nd or 3rd day of Tevet ("What Is Hanukkah"). The Jewish tradition goes by a lunar calendar instead of a solar one, but Hanukkah normally falls between November and December. Some of the Jewish families will get in the spirit of the holiday season and celebrate Hanukkah whereas the Christians celebrate Christmas. They will decorate their houses and exchange gifts. The lighting of the menorah with the candles is an important part of the celebration, as you can remember the significance from the history of the story. The menorah has nine branches and holds nine candles. The ninth candle is called the Shamash, which means a helper candle; the purpose of this candle is to light the other eight candles. The lighting of the menorah is something that the whole family can get involved in. On the first night three prayers are said one for the lighting, one over the miracle, and one for a new experience. The prayer is as follows: prayer one: Blessed are You, Lord our God, sovereign of the universe, who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to light the Hanukkah candles. Prayer two: Blessed are You, Lord our God, sovereign of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days and in this season. Prayer three: Blessed are You, Lord our God, sovereign of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season ("Lighting the Hanukkah Menorah"). In addition to the lighting of the candles, the festival is celebrated with traditional prayers and hymns. Other traditions include the game of dreidel, a gambling game that involves chocolate that is wrapped in shiny foil to resemble coins (gelt), the eating of potato cakes and doughnuts fried in oil, the food is mostly round that represents life and mostly fried in oil to represent the burning of the oil, and the giving of gelt that is either money or the chocolate coins that are sometime given to the kids. The Jewish see Hanukkah as great importance however they view the holiday as a minor one with no restrictions on work or school. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the temple. It is celebrated around the world by the lighting of the menorah, games, and the exchanging of gifts. It usually coincides with Christmas and that can lead to the misinterpretation of the holiday it self. The story behind the holiday is nothing like Christmas, but the history of Hanukkah and the importance it plays in the Jewish religion is something everyone should read about.

References
Lighting the Hanukkah Menorah. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.interfaithfamily.com
Hanukkah. (). Retrieved from http://www.history.com
Molloy, M. (2010). Experiencing the World’s Religions. Tradition, Challenge, and Change (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.