Hanukkah Celebration: Understanding the Jewish Festival of Lights
For eight nights each year, Jews celebrate the Festival of Lights, known as Hanukkah. Hanukkah celebrates the miracles that occurred more than 2,000 years ago when Judah and the Maccabees fought against religious persecution, rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and lit the menorah (a candelabrum) with one day’s worth of oil that, amazingly, lasted for eight. Let the Hanukkah Celebration Web Guide show you where to find information on Hanukkah customs, traditions, food, blessings, music and more.
Hanukkah traditions date back to Hellenistic times and the reign of one of Alexander the Great’s successors, Antiochus IV, when Judah and the Maccabees rebelled against assimilation into Hellenistic culture and religious persecution. Even though the victory of the Maccabees is integral to the understanding of the Hanukkah holiday and its traditions, it is not Jewish custom to celebrate a military victory. On Hanukkah, Jews rejoice mainly because the oil lasted for eight nights and the Temple was rededicated. To learn more about Hanukkah, including this holiday's traditions and customs, visit the sites below.
- The Hebrew word Hanukkah is spelled in English in a number of ways: Hanukkah, Chanukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Hannukah and Khanuka are just some of the options. Hanukkah is the most generally accepted spelling.
- Hanukkah's date changes each year on the Gregorian calendar; visit MyJewishLearning.com for a calendar of all Jewish holidays.
For a brief overview of Hanukkah …
Judaism 101
is essentially an online encyclopedia about Judaism, and contains a comprehensive introduction to Hanukkah. Written in a friendly tone, this page teaches Hanukkah’s history, traditions, music and food in a manner useful for both observant Jews and non-Jews alike.
The History Channel
Web site has short overviews on different aspects of Hanukkah. Learn about the history and traditions of the holiday, watch a well-produced four-minute video and even read about some record-breaking Hanukkah achievements, such as the world’s tallest menorah and the largest pile of jelly doughnuts.
For more extensive information …
The Jewish Outreach Institute
hosts numerous national conferences and publications dedicated to Jewish community outreach and provides more detail on the history and traditions of Hanukkah.
Chabad.org
provides this fun, interactive Web site about Hanukkah. There’s an extensive telling of the Hanukkah story divided into six sections, one of which is a radio play that you can download. Also look for games, interesting Hanukkah facts, recipes, greeting cards and more.
Aish.com
offers a “how-to” section with an animated guide on how to light a menorah, a “stories” section with a narrative explaining the meaning of Hanukkah through a college fraternity experience, a “multi-media” section with a video about miracles and much more.
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