Not the Jewish Christmas: What is Hanukkah and What and How We Celebrate

Hanukkah! No matter how you spell it (Hanukkah, Hannukah or Chanukah), let's celebrate it! Often misunderstood as the "Jewish Christmas," Chanukah is not a major holiday in the Jewish calendar, but one that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Hanukkah, the festival of lights, begins this year on December 15, 2006 at sunset and continues until sunset on December 23. During this time, Jewish families light candles every night, eat holiday foods, play traditional games, and give gifts. The candles are lit progressively, with two being lit the first night, and three the second night, and so on, until on the last night nine candles are lit. The candles are placed in a ceremonial candle holder known as a menorah. The menorahs are often beautifully decorated works of art which are passed down for generations.

What We Celebrate During Hannukah

This Jewish holiday celebrates the victory of the Jewish rebellion over the Hellenistic rulers of
Jerusalem
.
Jerusalem
had been conquered by Alexander the Great, and when his empire was divided after his death, Greek rulers controlled the Jewish land. In 167 BC, after about 150 years of rule by Greeks, Mattathias, a Jewish priest, declared that he would no longer worship the Greek gods, and he and his sons began a revolution. The family hid in the wilderness, where Mattathias died. His son, Judah Macabee, lead the fight then, and continued until he and his brothers had conquered
Jerusalem
and driven out the Greeks.

After conquering the city, the first priority for the Macabees was to get the sacred temple up and running again. The temple had to be reconsecrated, because the Greeks had used it for practices that the tradition-minded Jews found offensive. After the temple was scrubbed and reconsecrated, the eternal flame had to be relit. The eternal flame had to be lit using sacred olive oil, and there was only a little bit to be found, enough for one day. It took eight days to make more sacred olive oil, so the situation looked dire. But, miracle of miracles, the one day supply of oil lasted eight days, until a new supply could be made. It is for this reason that the holiday lasts eight nights, and that the candles are lit every night.

How We Celebrate During Hannukah

Each night of Hannukah, the family gathers around the menorah, and one candle, known as the "shamosh" or helper, candle, is lit. That candle is then used to light the other candles. The number of other candles that are lit depends upon which night of the holiday it is, with one candle being lit the first night, and one more each following night. The shamosh is then placed back in the menorah, usually in a spot which is set apart from the other eight candle spaces. Unlike a birthday, no one blows out the candles.

The most famous of the holiday foods eaten by Jews during Hanukkah are latkes. These are potato pancakes, and they are often served with sour cream and apple sauce. The classic Hanukkah game is called dreidle. In this game, the players spin a four-sided top, and depending on which side the top lands on, they win or lose money, or chocolates, or "Hanukkah gelt," which are foil covered chocolate coins, or whatever is being played for. Families gather together, gifts are given, and a good time is had by all. Some families even decorate a Hanukkah Bush with ornaments, although this practice is considered controversial by some who are more tradition-minded.

My Very Own Personal Latkes Recipe

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes

one small brown onion (I use a sweet onion, to cry less)

2 eggs

salt and pepper

Beat the eggs with a fork in a medium bowl. Grate the potatoes by hand, in the coarse side of the grater. Press all the liquid out of the onions with paper towels (I place the grated potatoes on a small colander and press with a paper towel from the top). Grate the onion. Add the potatoes and onion to the egg mixture. Add salt to taste. Heat four tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet. When hot, add the potato and egg mixture with a large spoon, forming pancakes about two and a half inches in diameter. Turn over with a spatula when browned. Cook and couple more minutes and take out. Place on plate covered with paper towels to drain oil. Repeat until all pancakes are made. Serve immediately, with bowls of sour cream and chunky applesauce to spoon on them. (You can place the pancakes in a 200-degree oven as you make the rest, to keep them warm). Enjoy! Don't be a putz! Be a mensch! Happy Hannukah!