Hanukkah
Although I'm Christian, I do love the story of Hanukkah and how the Jewish people celebrate it. Hanukkah is the Jewish Feast of Lights or Feast of Dedication. It can also be known as Feast of the Maccabees or the Festival of Lights. The Hebrew word hanukkah (also written Hannuka or Chanukah) means ‘dedication’.
The Hanukkah holiday begins on the eve of the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev (approximately sometime in December) and lasts eight days. The holiday originated from the three-year struggle of Judah the Maccabbe and his followers to reclaim the temple in 165 B.C. In 168 B.C. Syrian King Antiochus IV had defiled the temple by having it dedicated to the worship of the pagan god Zeus Olympius and an altar to Zeus was set up on the high altar.
After Judah and his followers reclaimed the temple, it was cleansed and prepared for re-dedication. When the sacred temple Menorah (candelabra) was re-lit, there was only enough sacred oil to burn for one day. Yet, the oil miraculously lasted eight days until more purified oil could be found.
About 250 years after these events, the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote his account of the origins of the holiday. Josephus referred to the holiday as the Festival of Lights and not as Hanukkah. Josephus seems to be connecting the newfound liberty that resulted from the events with the image of light, and the holiday is still often referred to by the title Josephus gave it.
A lesser known story from the Apocrypha tells of the beautiful widow Judith who plied enemy Assyrian General Holofernes with cheese and wine until he fell into a drunken stupor. Judith beheaded the general in his sleep, and his soldiers fled in fear, thus saving her people from the Assyrians.
During Hanukkah, gifts are exchanged and contributions made to the poor. On the first evening, one candle is lighted in a special eight-branched candelabra called a menorah or hanukkiyah. A blessing is said each night as the Hanukkah candles are lit.
Beginning on the second night, one candle is added every night until the total reaches eight on the last night. The candles are lighted by a ninth, separate candle called a shamash.
The celebration of Hanukkah includes a variety of religious and nonreligious customs. Like Purim, Hanukkah is a joyous festival that lacks the work restrictions characteristic of the major festivals of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Observances are also characterized by the daily reading of Scripture, recitation of some of the Psalms, almsgiving, and singing of a special hymn. The Scroll of Antiochus, an early medieval account of Hanukkah, is read in some synagogues and homes.
In contemporary Israel, Hanukkah is a national holiday, and students present plays, sing holiday songs, and have parties. Schools are closed, and menorahs are displayed atop such prominent buildings as the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. A highlight of the eight-day festival is an annual relay from Modiʿin to Jerusalem. Runners carry burning torches through the streets, beginning in Modiʿin. The runners continue until the final torchbearer arrives at the Western Wall, which is the last remnant of the Temple. The torchbearer hands the torch to the chief rabbi, who uses it to light the first candle of a giant menorah.
The traditional foods during the Hanukkah holiday are symbolic of the events being celebrated. Most are fried in oil, symbolic of the oil that lasted eight days. Loukoumades are deep-fried puffs dipped in honey or sugar to represent the cakes the Maccabees ate. Pancakes are a traditional dish, serving as a reminder of the food hurriedly prepared for the Maccabees as they went into battle, along with the oil they are fried in as a reminder of the miraculous oil.
Latkes were originally symbolic of the cheesecakes served by the widow Judith, and later evolved to the potato/vegetable fried latkes most known today. Many cheese and dairy dishes are consumed in memory of brave Judith. A newer tradition in the United States is the baking of butter cookies or pretzels in the shape of Hanukkah symbols while relating the stories.