Hanukkah: a Festival of Lights

December is a magical time of year, isn't it? However, while some of us focus only on Christmas, our own holiday traditions are made more meaningful when coupled with an awareness of other December traditions as well. One of the other beautiful traditions occurring during this time of year is the Jewish festival called Hanukkah.

Hanukkah celebrates a miracle that occurred in the second century B.C. involving the second temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabeean revolt had successfully defeated the supposedly invincible armies of the Syrian King, Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The revolt occurred after a very dark and difficult time in Judea, for Antiochus Epiphanes had attempted to cruelly crush the traditional Jewish religion. As part of that oppression, he had erected a statue of Zeus in the Jewish Temple, and had all the barrels of sacred oil profaned by his priests. By the time the Maccabeeans succeeded in repelling the Syrian armies, only one barrel of properly purified oil remained - enough to keep the lights in the temple burning for one day. Miraculously, however, the oil lasted for eight days - the exact number of days required to bless and purify new oil for use in the temple. It is this miracle that Hanukkah, also sometimes called "The Festival of Lights," celebrates.

The central symbol in the celebration of Hanukkah is the menorah, a candelabrum with nine branches - four on each side, with one raised branch in the center. The center raised branch is called the Shamash, and is special because it is the only Hanukkah candle that can be used for the purpose of providing light. The other eight candles are supposed to burn on certain days for only the half hour after sundown in memory of the temple miracle. While there are many variations in the way Hanukkah is celebrated, depending on the branch of Judaism a family adheres to, at least in North America it is most common to light one additional candle each night until all nine are lit. So, on the first night of Hanukkah, the Shamash and one other candle are lit; the second night, the Shamash and two other candles are lit on up to the day when all nine candles on the menorah will be lit. Because the purpose of Hanukkah is to remind others of the miracle on which the holiday is based, a menorah is to be displayed prominently where others can see it whenever possible (Jewish religious strictures allow this requirement to be relaxed in times of danger and persecution), and the menorah candles, except for the Shamash, are to remain lit only for the half-hour after sunset.

While in many areas of the world, Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday, in North America, it is second only to Passover in terms of Jewish identity. Also in North America, the tradition has evolved to include the giving of gifts to children throughout the eight days of Hanukkah, possibly to keep Jewish children from feeling left out of the Christmas gift giving that often overlaps with the Hanukkah celebration. However, there is a basis for this tradition as well - in some countries, originally, it was customary for older family members to give the children in the family coins as presents.

So, this year, if you are one of the people who fill their house with a Christmas tree and other decorations, as you get ready to light your tree, take just a second to reflect upon the many other wonderful traditions celebrated by other cultures and religions this time of year, including the beautiful festival of Hanukkah.