A basic intro to Hanukkah

Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. This means that some years the celebrations fall close to the beginning of Advent, and other years, they fall closer to Christmas.

Since it is important for Christians to remember that the Holy Family was Jewish, as were their relatives and friends, here are some facts about a feast they celebrated, Hanukkah.

In our Catholic Bible in 1 Maccabees 4:59, we read: “Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the anniversary every year for eight days from the 25th day of  the month of Chislev.”

This is the description of Hanukkah, which commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. A supply of lamp oil sufficient for one day miraculously lasted for eight days.

The First and Second Books of Maccabees are part of the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canons but are not included in the Jewish Tanakh or most Protestant Bibles.

Hanukkah is also referenced in the New Testament (John 10:22) and preserved in Jewish tradition through the Talmud and other historical writings. Josephus, writing around 75–95 AD, refers to it in Antiquities of the Jews (Book 12.7.6) as the "Festival of Lights."

In the New Testament, in John 10:22-35, we hear of the Feast of Dedication, also known as the Festival of Lights, which is Hanukkah. Jesus is celebrating it by saying, “… and scripture cannot be set aside …”

Here are some other Hanukkah facts:

Candles

The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, called a Hanukkah menorah (or hanukkiah). One candle is lighted to commemorate each of Hanakkah's eight nights. The candles are lighted with a ninth, taller candle known as the servant candle, which diminishes itself in service to the other lights.

Oil

Oily foods are a traditional part of the feast: Potato pancakes and jelly donuts are important because they represent the oil that burned for eight days.

Cheese

Cheese is a lesser-known and later Hanukkah tradition. This comes from a Medieval development to the story from the Book of Judith, the beautiful Jewish widow who triumphs over the Assyrian general ready to wipe out the Chosen People. Scripture does not mention Judith offering him cheese, but tradition came to present her feeding him salty cheeses to increase his thirst, so that he would take more wine. Once he has passed out, she beheads him, empowering the Jewish army to conquer the Assyrians, saving Israel.

Spelling

Hanukkah can be spelled several different ways: Hanukah, Chanukah, Chanuka, and Chanucah.

Affected by Christmas celebrations

Hanukkah celebrations have, over the centuries, been affected by Christmas traditions. Up until the last part of the 19th century, Hanukkah was a minor holiday, not on the scale of Passover or Rosh Hashanah.

Coins

Giving children coins during Hanukkah is an old tradition. It originally was the only gift children would receive. The custom came from Eastern Europe where teachers were given a bit of money as a “Thank you” for their hard work. In the 1920s it evolved in America into the chocolate "gelt.” Lofts Candy Corp began producing the chocolate gold coins and their popularity quickly grew. They were called “gelt” ("gold" or "money" in Yiddish) by the Jewish people and that custom is still very popular.

Latkes

Latkes are a popular Eastern European food that is a staple of the Jewish holiday. The interesting thing about latkes is that they are not popular in Israel. In Israel, you will find plenty of jelly-donuts. Latkes (similar to potato pancakes) are cooked in animal fat, which was never in abundance in Israel. But in Eastern Europe it is used all of the time.

Dreidel

Children also play a traditional Hanukkah game, betting with nuts or candy on the fall of a four-sided spinning top called a dreidel. Each side of the top is marked with a Hebrew letter, which stands for the phrase "A great miracle happened there" (or, in Israel, "A great miracle happened here"), describing the miracle of the lamps. The letters also stand for words indicating the game play -- take none (of the nuts or candy in the central pot), take all, take half, put one in.